Little Is Much
by Kitten Kisses
Summary: Misao lost everything at age 7. She's unwanted & considered a disgrace in every village she goes to. A dirty starving weaselgirl with no name, she's beaten and scarred beyond repair. Injured and alone, she stumbles upon the Aoiya...[Discontinued]
1. Memories and Injuries

Little Is Much  
  
Hi, my newest story. This story is dark, and thus, I have rated it PG-13 for LIFE. Life is dark, especially for Misao. She's alone in the world, homeless, and she has nowhere to go. Chased out of village after village, she gets beaten and whipped, scarred and burned. What happens when the 16- year-old girl happens upon the Aoiya?  
  
Read on!  
  
Chapter 1- Memories and Injuries  
  
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She huddled in the back of the dark crawlspace. True, she shouldn't have been there, but they had chased her out of the rotting barn she'd called 'home'. Said sarcastically by you of course, because nothing of that.......degree would ever be a real home. But to Misao Makimachi, that was only one of a string of 'homes' that she'd lived in.  
  
Misao was homeless. She had been since she was just a child. Her father was killed in the war, the revolution in which many people died. Five-and- a-half years before her father left for the war, her mother had given birth to a scrawny baby girl. That baby girl, of course, was Misao.  
  
She'd always been small, and she herself supposed that it had something to do with the fact that her mother had been ill when she'd been born. When she was almost seven, her mother's health started to decline, and, having no relatives or family around- not even neighbors- Misao tried her best to care for the only person in the world she had left. A child such as herself wouldn't be able to give her mother the care that she needed, and her mother passed away quietly, taking with her Misao's unborn baby brother.  
  
Back then, it seemed like time fell to minimum movement. She had to bury her mother's body, which took several days. The first day she started digging she'd gotten far, for a child of her age. But that night it rained and flooded the hole, so she had to start all over.  
  
The farm that her family had been running skidded to a halt, and she opened up the gates for the cows and horses to escape. The chickens were already dead, having been eaten by a coyote or a fox. The only animals she kept were her dog, Kiva, and her pony Fuuso.  
  
Of course, she knew she had to leave. If she stayed, it wouldn't do her any good, as she couldn't run the farm, and nobody in the nearest town would want to take her in. she was too small, and, as far as others were concerned, was supposed to die before she turned four.  
  
Even at her current age of 16, she was only four foot nine, and in that period of time she was considered to be a defected child. Too small to do real work, too scrawny to be a good worker, and unable to do anything constructive.  
  
So she rode Fuuso and Kiva followed, out of the house, out of their former lives, and out of the township in which they lived.  
  
Most girls her age were already married and had a child on the way, but, as life would have it, she had yet to start her monthly procedure. Of course, she didn't know anything about it, as she'd been alone from the age of seven.  
  
She pulled her knees up to her chin and waited patiently. No, patience wasn't her strongest virtue, but after all she'd been through, she'd learned to wait out the enemy. No matter how long it took.  
  
When she was 13, she'd been chased from a rundown shack, and had to seek refuge under a bridge. The bridge was fragile, and the wind was strong. The small jutting piece of rock she'd sat on was no comfort for the girl. Every time the wind blew, her heart thudded in her chest again. The bridge blew closer, and the water below churned faster, but she'd stayed there for a week and a half without moving from that spot.  
  
Without. That had been a word she'd heard long before her parents' deaths. 'I'm sorry Misao-chan, we don't have the money for food tonight. We'll have to do without.' It had become a common phrase in her low, meaningless life. She'd refused to resort to stealing, but, as time passed, her ideals changed drastically. She wouldn't steal money, or from poor people, but.......the well-off merchants could stand to lose a loaf of bread or a fish.  
  
Fuuso had fallen into a hole while grazing and had come up with a broken leg. Misao desperately wanted to keep him, but, when a local farmer wandered by, he told her that she would be better off shooting him. It took months for a break like he had to heal, and she didn't have the time nor the money to wait it out.  
  
So, she'd shot him.  
  
That was another thing she'd taken from the house. Her fathers rifle. It took seven shots to put the horse down. She wasn't the best aimer in the world, and she'd peppered her friend since the age of two with bullets until one finally sunk into his heart and killed him.  
  
The next to die was Kiva. The dog was old, and had been when Misao was a toddler. Now though, the old German shepherd dog was almost solid grey. One day when Misao woke up, the old dog was stiff and very dead.  
  
She'd buried her the next day.  
  
She herself was still surprised that she was still alive, as life is, she should have been dead shortly after her two companions. She called them companions instead of pets because they were just that. She spoke to them when she couldn't speak to anyone else, and she'd given them kisses and hugs like a mother would her child. Back then, she wore her genki grin. But after Fuuso died, it disappeared and was replaced with a half-hearted grin that appeared genki on the outside, but if you looked deeply into her eyes you could tell that it was just a façade.  
  
A mask to cover up how she truly felt. After Kiva died, she had no one to talk to, and so she didn't speak. She knew how, sort of. She'd heard others speak, and had filed away the way that they spoke the words. The grammar and pronunciation as well. But she hadn't spoken in eight years. There was no reason to do so, as she'd just condemn herself if she opened her mouth.  
  
Every time she was caught, they questioned her- asked her if she knew what she'd done wrong- and, of course, she kept her mouth shut. She knew what they thought of her, and she didn't blame them one bit.  
  
She'd been chased out of more villages than she'd like to admit. And she didn't blame the people that chased her either. According to them, she made their society look bad, and she was a walking disease. Who knew where she'd been, or what she'd done? Most of the time she'd left quietly, except when they decided that she needed a beating to go along with getting kicked out.  
  
More than once she'd been thrown out of the city gates beaten so bad she could hardly move. She'd spend a few days in the country to heal up, but, like always she had to return to the city, because that's where the food was.  
  
Footsteps echoed overhead, and she tucked her thin body to herself even more closely. Everything that had happened to her was deserved, or so she thought. She'd even thought that she'd done something to deserve being dragged through a blazing fire. And that was less than a month ago. The burns had yet to heal.  
  
She'd just recently arrived at this current place, and already, after a week, she was being chased out. Hopefully, the dogs and men looking for her would give up soon. She'd been in the dark for hours already. As soon as they left, she would go quietly. She'd leave the village and head to the next town.......wherever it happened to be.  
  
Just then, her nose caught it. Food....... She hadn't eaten for several days, and the people outside knew it. She might have been tiny and naïve, but she wasn't stupid. The last time she'd fallen for that trick had been the first, and she would never fall for it again. She'd nearly died that time.  
  
"Come on out weasel, we know you're in there!" a man yelled roughly, cruelly. It wasn't fair that they were using food to taunt her. Even if she did come out, which she wasn't planning on doing, they'd never let her eat the food.  
  
Of course, she didn't answer. She'd earned the nickname weasel wherever she went. It seemed like she was never around, and she truly did try to hide herself from everyone by living in abandoned buildings, but one time too many she'd been caught and beaten. She came and went silently, just like a weasel did inside the chicken coop.  
  
Nobody knew her real name either, and it was slowly fading from her memory. She'd always kept track of her age however, as her mother told her it was important to know. Right now she was 16. A young woman, who looked nothing like a woman at all. Her body was so thin that you could see all her bones, right through her clothing. She'd stopped growing taller at age 12, and, at age 13, she'd started to gain her 'womanly features'. All except for the one thing that enabled a woman to have children.  
  
But she had still been startled at the extra fat she'd gained on her chest. She was afraid, but there was nobody she could have turned to. So, she'd dealt with it alone. In solitude. By herself. But something, she supposed that it was her mother's spirit, told her to eat. Eating would help, but not to be a glutton. She would only get sick.  
  
The voice in her head had sounded sad, almost regretful, as if regretting the fact that Misao was alone in her time of need. But the spirit had seemed to wrap itself around her, and it told her not to be afraid, that it was normal. And it told her to pray.  
  
She was glad she knew how. And she was also glad that praying didn't require a voice. And so, she'd taken up praying. Her mother was a Christian, and her father was, well, she never really knew what he was. When she'd asked, he told her not to concern herself with things that weren't her business.  
  
Her mother said to ignore him. Pray to God, and he will do everything in his power to help. And so, she ended every prayer with, "Thy will be mine". In her head of course. She didn't always get food, or water. And her clothes were still ripped and dirty. But she was never without a feeling of comfort on those lonely nights when she thought that she was going to die.  
  
And she had a feeling that her mother was in the sky helping God take care of her. Her wounds always healed, and, for some odd reason, she seemed to just know what to use on her burns, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or any other form of injury. And so far, not one of her open wounds had become the death of her.  
  
So she prayed for God to help her in her time of need, she asked Him to tell her mother 'hello' for her, and she prayed to God about her baby brother, who had yet to be named.  
  
He would be eight years old on September 11th, which was the same day he and her mother departed earth. Now it was August 7th. Her birthday was November 26th. Fuuso died on May 5th, and Kiva died June 19th.  
  
That was something else she stole. On the deaths of her friends, she would steal flowers, if she could, from a local merchant. If no flowers could be found, she'd get some from the woods or the fields and carry them around all day. At the end of that day, she would throw the flowers up towards the heavens, as she believed that that was where her family and friends' were.  
  
Things didn't always work out though. Even though she prayed, she was still caught, beaten, burned, teased, tricked, and harmed. But it didn't matter, because she wasn't dead yet, and if God wanted her to get caught, so be it. Maybe He had a valuable lesson to teach her.  
  
A shot rang out in the noisy evening, and loud cursing could be heard from the men in the crawlspace ahead of her.  
  
"Don't try to shoot it, you fool! Do you want to kill all of us?!" one man yelled, and a punch could be heard.  
  
'It' was another nickname she'd received. The only way you could even tell that she was a girl was by her long braid that went well past her behind. It was the only hairstyle she knew, and she made sure to comb it out with her fingers every morning to re-braid it again.  
  
"Come on out weasel, we won't hurt you......." another man crooned. "Just come on out, and we'll get you some food......."  
  
She pressed up against the wall again, her bones hitting the dirt divider. She was almost certain that the men couldn't get so far back in the crawlspace. But just in case they did, she could escape from the almost invisible hatch above her. There were more men up above, more than were in the crawlspace, but there were also women.  
  
A small part of her said that men weren't to be trusted. They weren't always nice. Not like father. But another part of her mind argued and said that women weren't nice either. Though they were nicer than men.  
  
Though there were some women that had been far crueler than the men she'd run into. One woman had beaten her with a broom, and had attempted to cut off her hair with a butcher knife. The woman had claimed that, 'she gave women a bad name with her flat chest and shapeless body'. Misao didn't understand what she'd meant.  
  
Sometimes they had even set the dogs on her. She usually never hurt a dog, remembering Kiva's gentle nature. But after being bitten a few times, she'd changed her mind about them.  
  
The shuffling noise in the distance grew closer, and Misao reached a hand up to touch the handle of the hatch above her head. In the great world of 'fight or flight', she would rather pick flight.  
  
The shuffling of knees on the dirt-packed floor caused her to cringe. She had been hoping that she could wait them out. Or that the crawlspace was too small for them to reach her. But it appeared that God had other plans for her.  
  
She heard a metal 'clunk' and froze. The clunking continued, each clunk bringing the heavy metal object closer to where she sat. A gun. She stiffened like a deer caught in headlights. Guns were....... Her heart sped up, and she gasped for breath. She had to get out, get away.......somehow. It didn't matter how, she had to get away from the gun that was coming for her.  
  
They were more than frightening. They were downright terrifying. The power of killing was embedded in them, and she felt that it was some kind of.......evil. She'd repented, and prayed so much about killing Fuuso like she'd done. After he'd died, she'd left the rifle in a river.  
  
She'd been shot before....... and it only served to increase the guilt she felt about killing Fuuso. How much pain he must have been in before the final bullet struck.  
  
"Are ya scared weasel?"  
  
The voice caused her breath to stop in her throat, and she coughed violently to rid herself of the air going down the wrong pipe. She pressed herself up against the wall even further. She could feel her shoulder blades protest at the grinding feeling they were receiving, but her hand stayed on the handle to the hatch.  
  
"We thought about smokin' ya out......." the voice continued, calm and malicious. "But I thought that draggin' ya out would be better suited." He moved closer, and she could see the glint of his dark eyes.  
  
She had to escape, and fast. Before it got dark. She had trouble seeing in the dark, as everything looked the same and she couldn't tell the floor from the sky. Not to mention that she couldn't see animals, people, or objects either. Night flight was the hardest of all.  
  
He seemed to stare at her hard. "Is that long hair you've got there weasel?" he asked, smirking wickedly. "Cause you must be a weasel-girl. And I like girls......."  
  
Warning bells went off in her head, and she struggled to get the hatch open. Her hands were small, and her body was small. The door was rusty, and the creepy man was coming closer.......  
  
He grabbed for her foot in the dark, and pain shot up her leg, making her immobile for a few minutes. His dirty fingernails dug into her blisters and sores, and puss leaked out onto the ground. She had a lot of water blisters and burns on that foot from being dragged through the fire. A choked sob escaped her throat, and in a moment of desperation she flicked her wrist around the handle. A pop could be heard as a few fingers left their sockets, but the small hatch swung open.  
  
Though she was thin, her legs weren't fat. Everything that was there was muscle. And she used all the strength she had to pull her foot away from him. She hauled herself out of the hatch and into the evening air.  
  
It was almost dark. The light was fading in the west, and she struggled to see where she ran. She had to get away from the men, from the guns, from everything....... There were other towns. She would go somewhere else and stay for a few days.  
  
Her short stature didn't help her when she needed height. She jumped fence after fence, and on the last one, a loose piece of barbed wire cut into her leg. A gash appeared going down her whole calf, but she didn't stop to acknowledge it. She was running on pure adrenaline, and she knew that if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to get up.  
  
She tripped over various objects- her face coming in contact with the ground- but she didn't stop, scrambling up every time and running twice as fast to gain more distance. A rock hit her back, and then all kinds of objects slammed into her retreating figure. Since they couldn't catch her, they'd decided to throw stuff at her.  
  
A shovel struck her across the back, forcing her to her knees. A gunshot rang out, and she got to her feet and ran again, a throbbing pain in her back causing her to collapse outside the village. She laid on the ground, her back burning with pain, until she got her breath back. She was out of adrenaline, and all she could manage was a steady limp.  
  
She fell into a wide field and collapsed into a heap on the grass. It was then that she felt the burning pain in her leg as well. First her foot, then her back, and her leg lastly. She vaguely noticed that there was a lot of blood. But what was it coming from? Her leg, or her back? She would have checked, but she couldn't move. It was as if she was temporarily paralyzed.  
  
Her eyes slipped closed and she breathed in the warm evening air. Her outfit was torn and dirty, and it needed washed badly. But she would have to wait a few days before that could happen. It was as good a time as any to sleep. Nobody would find her out here in grass that was up to a normal person's knees. So she prayed silently with her hands folded in front of her.  
  
Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
I know that I pray a lot, and I just hope that I'm not.......getting annoying. I'm confused still as to why you let these things happen to me Lord. I've done all I know, but obviously it's not enough. I apologize. I ask this every night, but.......please, tell my mother hello for me. And tell brother that I love him, and I'm sorry I couldn't be of any more help. Tell Fuuso that I'm sorry for what I did, and if I could do it all over again, I would have done everything I could to help him. Tell Kiva that I miss her, and give her a steak for me, okay? And please, help me to overcome my injuries once again, for I seem to be gaining more every day. If it's in your will, allow me to wake up once again tomorrow morning. Thy will be mine Jesus. Amen.  
  
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*looks around* Where'd everyone go? ^^;; The title means, a little is a lot. I don't know if I should change it to, "Little is Much if love is in it" or not......hm.......  
  
Ah well, in case you haven't figured it out YET, this story's genre's are angst/romance/spiritual. There won't be a TON of spiritual stuff, and I'm sorry if you don't like it. In which case, you might want to stop reading. It's not spiritual as in, 'let's get everyone in the world saved!!', but she does pray.  
  
Okay, I figure that I need to explain the story thus far. Yes, she's homeless. If you've read the story, you understand that. ^^;; The reason that I added in the more adult theme of her turning into a woman is because when a girl is at the age of 'growing', in which she gets breasts, she usually has parents to tell her about such things. Misao was alone, and obviously, she was very scared at the time. I also added in the part about her 'not' starting her period yet, because she was too thin. Malnutrition and stuff will mess up your menstrual cycle- or in her case- keep it from happening. If she did start at this point in her life though, she'd probably die from lack of blood/food.  
  
No, I'm not a pervert. ^-~ It's life, deal with it. Now, I know you're wondering, 'where's Aoshi??' Well.......he'll show up eventually, but I want to get Misao's lifestyle stuck in your head first. He'll show up within a few chapters, and Kenshin/Kaoru/Sano/Megumi and so forth will show up as well. This is set in a surreal time, as the fact of guns, swords, knives, brooms, horses, etc. And the VILLAGES. ^_^ I still haven't decided if I want to put Kenshin and co. in the story from the Kamiya dojo in a different town, or what.......I'm confused. Lol, if you have an idea, help me!!! Ahhh! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter one of this story, well, enjoyed? More like detested. ^-^ Anywayz, if you have a favorite line or something, put it in your review so I know what my readers like. =^.^=  
  
::Love you all::  
  
~Kitten Kisses  
  
PS. Please, leave a review. I'd love it sooo much! 


	2. A Spy?

Hello again!! ^-^ I'm very pleased at the amount of reviews I've received! *sighs happily* Is it the summary? Lol, I'm not very good with them. Anyway! One note for the people who asked for a Misao/Soujirou fic. Hm......no. I'm not against the couple, but I've never seen them together in the show, therefore.......I don't think I could write them convincingly. Besides, right now I'm obsessed with Aoshi and Misao. *swoons* Aren't they just *so* cute together?! *siiighhh* Soujirou will be in the story however!!! ^__^ I think he's cool.  
  
And about Misao......she was an innocent child to begin with, and her parent's weren't exactly well-off to start with. ^^;; A lot of children who lost their parent's like that did exactly like Misao did- retreated into themselves. ^^  
  
No, there won't be a lemon or any such thing in this story. As it is, Misao's mother was a Christian, and Christians (well, most of them, myself included) believe that sex is saved for marriage. ^.^  
  
One last thing- this takes place around the Meiji era of Japan. Not in the real world. Where'd you ever get the idea that it was modern?? Ah well, it's mostly like the Meiji era, but.......you have to remember. The Meiji era was supposedly an era of peace. But you saw in the show/manga that there was a lot of *stuff* that wasn't so 'peaceful'. Regular villages want to look good for tourists and prospective residents. Having a homeless person hanging around might make them look bad. -_-*  
  
Rated PG-13 for LIFE  
  
Little Is Much:: Chapter 2-  
  
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Sunlight filtered in through the long grass around her. It fell over her eyelids, but it was still difficult for her to open her eyes. The minute she succumbed to the daylight- reality- she regretted it.  
  
In her dreams, she was a child again. Her mother was carrying a bundle of blue-her baby brother- and she was helping her mother with dinner. The family dog sat curled up in the corner in front of the fire, and her father kneeled on the ground beside the dog reading the paper.  
  
There was a reason they were called dreams, after all.  
  
When she opened her eyes, the pain washed over her like a broken dam. She would have gasped, but her throat was partially swollen shut. She struggled to sit up, and she felt a tugging sensation in her back. She heard a slight ripping noise, and blood soaked through her clothes.  
  
They really had hit her with the shovel. She cringed and stood on her one good leg- which wasn't so good. The bottom of her foot was cracked, bruised, and had water blisters on it as well, but it was still better off than her leg.  
  
Dry grass stuck in the blood of the wound on her leg. She looked tiredly at the ground and limped off towards destiny.  
  
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The river was just ahead. She half-smiled. She wasn't glad that the river was ahead, but rather that she could clean out her wounds. She needed cloth to bandage them. Sighing, she ripped off the only remaining sleeve on her shirt set it aside.  
  
After she'd pulled the grass from her wound, she'd dunked her leg in the icy river water. She pulled the dried blood from the wound deftly, though it hurt terribly. She rinsed the make-shift bandage and wrapped it around her leg tightly.  
  
She couldn't reach her back, so she left it the way it was. Her hair was dirty, so she let it free of its braid. The gold-colored tie-off had belonged to her mother, and it was the only reminder she had left of her. She set it carefully in the grass beside her. After rinsing out her hair and washing her face, she re-braided her hair and tied it off again.  
  
No, she wasn't in a condition to travel, but nevertheless, she didn't have a choice.  
  
She wouldn't take the road. She'd follow close, but not directly. She didn't want to make the roads look bad as well.......  
  
She would go through the thick woodland instead.  
  
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On the other side of the thick forest area was a road. Right or left? She started to the right. Who knew what lay ahead?  
  
Minutes after she stepped out onto the road, a rider came galloping by on a horse. The driver didn't see her, but the horse did. The horse turned just enough so it wouldn't crush her, but she was still knocked onto the ground rather forcefully.  
  
He whirled his horse around and turned to confront her.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he yelled, face red with fury. "I have an important errand to run, and you get in my way!"  
  
She didn't move from her position on the ground. She just stared down at her bandaged leg that was now throbbing evenly.  
  
"When I ask you a question, you answer it!"  
  
When she didn't answer, he strode forward and grabbed her up by the collar to shake her.  
  
"Answer me wench!"  
  
Once again, she didn't speak. Her eyes spoke volumes however. If you looked into the wide ocean-sprayed depths, you would see the terror that she felt. Men scared her. They were always violent, and never nice.  
  
He slapped her across the face and threw her to the ground.  
  
"Stupid bitch can't speak," he growled, kicking her side. "Stay out of the road girl. You're making the road look bad."  
  
He spat on her and kicked her one last time before mounting his horse. His steed looked back to her as if to say, 'I'm sorry', but.......he was being controlled as well.  
  
Great, now she was in trouble. Not only did her leg hurt worse, now she had a bruised side. She looked down at her side, but only saw a tear in the fabric. She couldn't check for injuries here.  
  
The pounding of hoof beats sent her limping into the woods again. A man in a strange white coat flew past her line of sight. She sighed with relief. She didn't want to have to deal with another man.  
  
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Even now, there was bruising. Only minutes after retreating into the woods, she'd pulled up her shirt to reveal a badly-bruised side. There was a little bit of blood where a metal piece in the man's boot had scraped her, but it wasn't so bad otherwise.  
  
She tucked her shirt back in place and tied off the faded pink bow that kept her shirt together. She'd taken this outfit from a pile of trash somewhere. But it was bordering on four years of wear and tear.  
  
She needed something new. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. She sighed and hauled herself rather painfully to her feet. She might as well just wander around in the woods for awhile......  
  
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Voices. There were men talking ahead. And a woman. A small group of people. Her eyes widened and she went to investigate. Hiding behind a tree, she saw an invisible road. You would only find it if you knew where to look. Two men and two women were talking excitedly.  
  
"Well tori-atama, I see you've finally returned!" one woman shouted. Her long deep brown hair fell to her waist loosely.  
  
Misao cringed. She wondered if the woman would get slapped for that statement.  
  
"Sorry kitsuné-sensei, we were held up at Hyoko."  
  
Misao gaped. He was the same man from earlier! The one with the white coat that had passed her on the road soon after she'd dove into the forest. He didn't hit the other woman for making such a statement. How strange.......  
  
"Kenshin!" another woman yelled, standing at the side of the horse. "Are you back for good?"  
  
"No Miss Kaoru, I'm not......." the redhead on the deep brown horse said somewhat sadly. "We have a lot to do, that we do......." He shook his head and offered a hand to Kaoru.  
  
Misao watched in wonder. Why did the man give the woman an honorific, but she did not do likewise?  
  
Kaoru accepted his hand and he hauled her up onto the horse. She held onto Kenshin's waist with her hands, and the horse jumped forward at the man's command.  
  
"Aren't you going to give me a ride back?" the one woman pouted.  
  
"Well fox, I dunno......."  
  
"Sanosuke Sagara, if you don't, I'll tell Shinomori-san on you!"  
  
"Fine, come on up," he grinned, and hauled her onto the horse. She had to ride sideways because of the restrictive kimono she was wearing. "Giddy up!" he yelled, and the horse took off.  
  
Misao shook her head. What strange people....... She continued on her way through the woods. After limping around for several hours, she came upon a small pond in the middle of the woods. It was cool, and she rinsed her hands and face off.  
  
A crashing through the underbrush startled her, and she turned slowly to see a dog standing in front of her. Her eyes widened for a moment, but the dog looked up at her cutely.  
  
It was friendly.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief. This dog was hardly a dog. He looked almost a year old, but he had a puppy's eyes. He reminded her of Kiva, for they were of the same breed. Shouting could be heard in the distance, and she quickly pulled her hand away.  
  
"Nova!" a voice shouted, and Misao rose. She had to leave. "Nova you bad dog! Get back here!"  
  
Misao recognized the voice as male, and she turned to flee just as she left the clearing. She would watch him from a distance.  
  
He saw her leave, and turned to see Nova standing with his nose faced in the fleeing girl's direction.  
  
"Arigatou!" he called to her, but she didn't turn to acknowledge him. "Come on Nova," he smiled. "Let's get home." He clipped a lead onto the dog's collar and led him away. "We'll get you some dinner when we get back," he promised.  
  
Misao felt her stomach clench. The man wasn't much older than herself, and he wore blue. He seemed the sort who always smiled. Dinner......it'd been a long time since she'd had dinner....... nine years in fact. Dinner wasn't dinner without food.  
  
Sure, she'd had a scrap here and there all her life. But not dinner. Dinner was a full meal.......  
  
She felt the empty hole in her stomach complain. It cried for food. Begged, pleaded. But she had none to give it. She walked the way the man had gone with the dog- Nova. Maybe she could steal some food from his house.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"Aoshi," Sanosuke complained. "Can't we at least stay for a little while? We've been traveling for a week without a good rest."  
  
The man in front of him paused. "Aa......." he agreed slowly. "But you must leave to deliver this before the end of the week." His cold bluish grey-green eyes hardened. "We can't let their suspicions get any higher than they already are."  
  
"Okay," Sano grinned. "Kenshin and I will be on the road before two days."  
  
"Very well."  
  
Sano exited the room.  
  
"Aoshi-san!"  
  
Aoshi turned to regard the young man that had just banged into his office.  
  
"What is it Soujirou?" he asked boredly.  
  
"Someone's hanging around here! I don't know who she is, but I saw her run away from Nova."  
  
"Did you check Nova for anything.......strange?"  
  
"Yes, I didn't find anything." He paused for a moment. "I don't think she is a threat. She looked to be about 14 or so. She's very short. I didn't get a good look at her, but she looked pretty messed up to me. I wonder if she ran away from someone?"  
  
Aoshi shrugged, and Soujirou continued. "Maybe an arranged marriage or something? Maybe even a husband. People keep getting married younger and younger......."  
  
"Is that all?" Aoshi asked the smiling young man. "Or did you have something else to say?"  
  
"Oh yes, she was wearing the strangest clothes. I don't think I've seen a woman outside of the Aoiya wear something like that......." he commented. "She was wearing an onmitsu's uniform."  
  
"Hmm......" Aoshi's eyebrows rose slightly.  
  
"But it hung off her body like it was a hand-me-down or something. I don't think it's hers."  
  
Aoshi nodded. "Fine. I'll have Saitou on the lookout."  
  
"Okay," Soujirou answered. "What about-"  
  
"And Souzou as well."  
  
Soujirou nodded. "Very well Aoshi-san. I'll tell them to get into position." He thought for a minute. "Shall I inform the others of this? Just in case......."  
  
"Aa. It would probably be best that way."  
  
"Good." He turned and left the room, sliding the door shut.  
  
Soujirou smiled grimly. If this girl was a spy for Shishio, then they were in trouble. They'd been hiding out here in their own little society for a long time. They didn't want to leave.  
  
He stopped in every doorway to arrange a meeting in the training hall.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
The training hall buzzed with excitement. What did Soujirou Seta have to say now? Was it good news perhaps?  
  
"Hey!" Soujirou yelled over the din. His voice didn't quite project like he'd have wanted it to.  
  
"SHUT UP YOU IDIOTS!"  
  
Everyone quieted.  
  
"Thanks Sanosuke!" Soujirou smiled. He looked out over the group assembled. There weren't a lot of people, but there was enough. The men sat on one side of the room, while the women all sat on the other.  
  
(the women)  
  
Tae Taika- the head cook. She cooked meals and was in charge of.......well....... everything. 25 years old and unmarried.  
  
Tokio Hajime- Saitou Hajime's wife. Married for almost a year. The only married woman in the Aoiya. 24 years old.  
  
Tsubame Taika- Tae's niece. 15 years old.  
  
Kaoru Kamiya- A kendo instructor. Teaches kendo to the children and young adults. 18 years old an unmarried.  
  
Megumi Takani- the Aoiya's physician. Nobody would hire her because she was a woman, but after she'd helped out Sanosuke, he'd invited her to the Aoiya. 19 years old and unmarried.  
  
Shura Yume- A female ninja. She's usually in charge of watching for visitors, but sometimes she is sent out on a mission. 21 and unmarried.  
  
Okon Inami- Tae's helper. Omasu's sister. In charge of setting the table and serving. 28 and unmarried.  
  
Omasu Inami - Tae's helper, Okon's sister. In charge of setting the table and getting everyone there for dinner. 27 and unmarried.  
  
Ayame Genzai- A 9-year-old girl who lost her family in a fire. She lives at the Aoiya with her substitute grandfathers, Okina and Dr. Genzai.  
  
Tsuzume Genzai- 5 years old, she's Ayame's younger sister. She also lives at the Aoiya with Okina and Dr. Genzai. They adopted Dr. Genzai's last name as their own.  
  
Amaura Mizori- She cleans up after everyone. Housekeeper of the entire Aoiya. Sometimes Kamatari lends a hand to help. 23 and unmarried. Her nickname is Maura.  
  
Kilika- Kaoru's younger sister. Sometimes helps with the spy work, but usually works around the Aoiya. She likes fixing things. 17 and unmarried  
  
(the men)  
  
Soujirou Seta- Serves alongside Souzou, Kenshin, Saitou, and Sano. A top spy and dog trainer. 19 years old and unmarried.  
  
Souzou- A top spy, he trains the Aoiya's horses, and is frequently gone on business. 27 years old and unmarried.  
  
Yahiko Myoujin- trains under Kaoru. Her first apprentice. Helps out with chores and such, and helps out Soujirou occasionally with the dogs. 16 and unmarried.  
  
Kenshin Himura- A top spy, he is often away on business. He usually goes with Souzou or Sano. When home, he helps the women out by doing the laundry. 20 and unmarried.  
  
Sanosuke Sagara- Another top spy, and Kenshin's best friend. They both came to the Aoiya at approx. the same time. 22 years old and not married.  
  
Saitou Hajime- The only married man at the Aoiya. 26 years old. He usually patrols the grounds, but also leaves on important business.  
  
Katsu Tsukioka- a spy for the Aoiya. 23 years old and unmarried. He's sweet on Shura, and usually takes watch with her.  
  
Kamatari- The flashy dresser. He's a spy, but usually sticks around the Aoiya to help with the regular work. He always wears at least one bright color- claiming that everyone needs a bright spot in their life. Helps Amaura when he can. 25 and unmarried.  
  
Okina- Dr. Genzai's brother. Used to be a top spy, but now just helps Aoshi with the paperwork and tries to do a little work along the way.  
  
Dr. Genzai- a retired physician. He is Okina's brother. He watches Ayame and Tsuzume and helps Megumi sometimes.  
  
There was only one more man left. Aoshi Shinomori. The leader of the whole Aoiya wasn't there. But that was fine, because he had a lot of paperwork to do. Aoshi was a cold man. Ever since forming the Aoiya, he hadn't spoken a lot to anyone.  
  
But he was still a first-rate Okashira. He showed respect to his men, and everyone loved him for it. He even showed respect to the women, and he expected all of the men to do the same.  
  
"I have an announcement......." Soujirou started. "We've spotted someone around the premises."  
  
The training hall's noise level skyrocketed. If it was a spy, they could lose the Aoiya. They'd all have to go somewhere else. The Aoiya was their home. They'd created their own society. Men and women were equal. It was like a utopia- almost. Women and men both wore what they wanted, and the women weren't restricted to kimono's. Of course, they had to be at least decent.  
  
"Though we're not sure whether or not she is a spy."  
  
"A woman?" Sanosuke asked, hand raised in the air.  
  
Soujirou nodded. "I saw her while I was chasing Nova."  
  
"Do you think she poses a threat?" Amaura asked softly.  
  
"Yeah," Megumi spoke up. "Maybe she's just wandering around."  
  
"In the woods?" Souzou spoke.  
  
"Sure, why not?" Shura defended.  
  
"That's right, it's probably safer than the road." Kaoru twisted her hands.  
  
"Anyway," Soujirou continued. "I just thought I'd tell you all. You may go back to whatever it was you were doing. Saitou, Souzou, I'd like to speak with you."  
  
The two indicated men came up and listened to their orders while everyone else filed from the room.  
  
"What do you think Kenshin?" Kaoru asked the redhead.  
  
"I'm not sure what to think Miss Kaoru, that I'm not....... She could just be a harmless passerby, but......."  
  
"Yeah......." Kaoru hung her head.  
  
"Tori-atama!" Megumi screamed, running past. Sanosuke was running away from the angry fox.  
  
Kaoru laughed a little. Those two fought so much....... "You guys are acting like a married couple!" she shouted. That got them to shut up.  
  
"I'm not sure what to say......." Katsu mumbled, watching the ground as he walked. "I just hope she's not some kind of spy......."  
  
"Same here......." Tae agreed. "I'd like to stay here, ya know......."  
  
"You're not the only one......." Souzou frowned. "Hopefully, she'll just be someone who got lost or something."  
  
"Maybe." Shura looked at her friends. "Just remember to keep an extra ear out for her. Just in case."  
  
Souzou nodded. "I will," he said.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Aoshi was tired. And the news that Soujirou had brought didn't help his nerves any. It just served to increase the tension in his back. He felt *old*. And he was only 24. He noticed a fluttering in the shadows around the dining hall.  
  
In the Aoiya, there were a lot of buildings. There was the dining hall/kitchen, the training hall, the nursing and recovery building, the main office, the living quarters, and the kennels, stables, chicken coops, and the bathrooms. He was in the main office. At the front of the Aoiya and only a short walk from the kitchen/dining hall.  
  
He focused tired eyes on the figure standing in the shadows. They waited for a few minutes before limping towards the kitchen. He narrowed his eyes. She wasn't from the Aoiya. She must have been the girl that Soujirou had seen earlier.  
  
She stepped into the kitchen quickly, and came out a few seconds later. He squinted and focused on what she was carrying. Was that......pie?  
  
His eyebrow raised in surprise. She was stealing.......pie. Wow. She looked pretty trashed. More than likely, he supposed, she was homeless. But what had happened to her leg and back? He wouldn't confront her today with questions about what she was doing at the Aoiya. But later.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"Aiiieee!"  
  
"What is it Miss Tae?!" Souzou yelled, sliding into the kitchen.  
  
Some of the men, especially Kenshin, called unmarried women "Miss".  
  
"My pie!" she said wide-eyed. "I had a pie here, but there's a little chunk gone!"  
  
Souzou rolled his eyes into his head. "So?" he asked. "Maybe Sano stole it."  
  
"No, he went the other direction. I left this here while we were all at that meeting, and now it's gone."  
  
Souzou leaned in to peer closer. There was a small piece cut out of the blueberry pie. "Maybe it was that girl that Soujirou told us about!" he grinned.  
  
Tae gasped and glared at him. "That's not funny Souzou!" she pouted. "Now I have to make another pie."  
  
"No you don't," he said. "Just give Sano a smaller piece."  
  
"Why not you?"  
  
"Because I never steal food."  
  
"What about that one time?!" she yelled, but he'd disappeared.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
Thank you so much for letting me get something to eat at last. I feel bad for taking this from the kitchen, but I was so hungry. Please help the members of the group not to hate for eating a piece of their dessert. Give my mother a hug, and my brother some candy. Give Fuuso a carrot and Kiva a hambone. Please....... Lead me where you will Lord, and I will follow. Thy will be mine Jesus, Amen.  
  
She slowly ate the homemade blueberry pie, and memories flooded her head as she chewed slowly on the delectable treat.  
  
~*~  
  
"Okaa-san?" a little girl asked. "Do you need help making the pie?"  
  
"Thank you Misao-chan......." her mother sighed tiredly. Her stomach was rounded, and she was sick. "Mama's just very tired today."  
  
"Misao-chan understands Okaa-san," Misao smiled at her mother. "Mama's sick, and she's trying to take care of my baby brother or sister."  
  
"A boy," Mrs. Makimachi sighed. "I just *know* he is. He'll grow up to look just like your Tou-san."  
  
"I hope so Okaa-san. That would be nice......." She kneaded the pie dough and started rolling it out on the table.  
  
"I'm so glad that your father planted those blueberry bushes....... This pie will certainly be a treat."  
  
Misao nodded. "Yes mama, it will be. You just sit back and tell Misao- chan what to do, and I'll make the pie for you."  
  
"Thank you Misao-chan. You're a big help."  
  
"You're welcome Okaa-san."  
  
"One day Misao, you're going to make someone a wonderful wife."  
  
"You think so?" Misao beamed.  
  
"Yes my Misao-chan. You're a very hard worker. You can clean, cook, and run a farm."  
  
Misao blushed. "Thank you mama. But before I go off and marry, I hafta finish this pie for you and my brother."  
  
"So you agree?"  
  
"Yes." Misao walked over to her mother and put her hand on the rounded area. She pressed her ear against it. "He'll be a boy for sure mama. I just know it."  
  
Mrs. Makimachi beamed. "I always wanted two children. A boy and a girl. A boy to help your Tou-san, and a little girl in the kitchen who could help me."  
  
"But I won't be little forever mama," Misao answered.  
  
"To me, you'll always be my Misao-chan," she smiled at her daughter. "Even on your wedding day."  
  
"But Mama, that'd be embarrassing," Misao pouted. "How long should I cook this for Okaa-san?"  
  
"Thirty minutes Misao-chan, but remember, you have to check on it. When the crust is golden and the filling is hot, it's finished."  
  
"Yes Mama."  
  
**AFTER THE PIE IS DONE**  
  
"Mama, the pie's done......." Misao whispered lightly.  
  
"Hm? Oh good. I'm hungry again. Thank you so much for helping me Misao- chan."  
  
The pie was imperfect and lopsided, but to Misao's mother, it was perfect. "What a beautiful pie Misao-chan. Blueberry's my favorite. I think that it's his too......." she smiled.  
  
"What makes you think that Okaa-san?" Misao asked curiously.  
  
"Well Misao-chan......." she beamed. "He just kicked."  
  
~*~  
  
Misao frowned slightly and folded her hands.  
  
Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
Please send Okaa-san and Nee-chan a blueberry pie for me too....... Amen.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
^___^ Okay, now I need to explain some things.  
  
This WILL BE a MISAOSHI fic!! ^_^ AHHHH! Drill it into your head!! ^.^ Soujirou's not going to be paired with Misao. *shakes head* I've got everyone paired up. Heh, heh, heh. That's why I made up two characters. Here are the parings.......  
  
Tae/Souzou, Tokio/Saitou, Tsubame/Yahiko, Kaoru/Kenshin, Megumi/Sanosuke, Shura/Katsu, Misao/Aoshi-sama, Amaura/Kamatari, Kilika/Soujirou.  
  
No, Kamatari's not gay, and not a cross dresser. He just dresses brightly. Kilika is going to be a shy kind of girl. Just the opposite of her sister. Did you notice that no one in Kenshin seems to have any family? Grr....... Souzou and Sano don't share last names.......There won't be a lot of all of the couples, but there will be a lot of K/K, A/M and M/S. All of the rest of the pairings will be slighter. Oh yeah, there'll be a little Kilika/Soujirou.......^^;;  
  
I felt bad leaving Soujirou all by himself.  
  
Remember Nova? The dog? All the dogs in here are going to have long pedigree names and......AN IMPORTANT PART! Yep, they're going to be a part of the plot.  
  
Basically, everyone's worried that Misao is Shishio's spy....... ^___^ Basically, every person has their own horse. All of the horses have long names too.......like it's not hard enough to think of the names for the dogs. ^_^;; That's a lot of horses....... I hope to make this fic as in depth as my Inuyasha fic, "I'll Always Love You". Right now it's 30 chapters. *gasp* And it has a plot. Haha. This chapter was long, so I'm entitled to a long A/N. For those who don't know, LOL means "laugh out loud". I've gotten asked about that a few times......  
  
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!! Thanks so much you guys! I was glad that you all didn't mind the praying stuff. And God answers prayer. Oh yes. But not always how you want it to be answered. Maybe he *wanted* Misao to go to the Aoiya.......  
  
~~Okashira Misao  
  
PS. Review EVERYONE!! PLEASE, the more reviews I get, the quicker I can update! Inspiration. Gotta love it!! ^.^ Any ideas? Let me know!! 


	3. Aoshi and Misao meet! Sorta

Oh my, I just saw the episode with Chou, and stuff, and after he's beaten.......whoa....... I cried when Misao and Aoshi passed in the street, and Yahiko, Kaoru and Kenshin passed in the street, but they didn't even see each other. Man....... that was SAD.  
  
Now, 1st off, I know that the whole 'blueberry pie' thing was awfully fake, but....... Originally, I wanted to make this in the USA, but the whole 'village' thing just didn't tie in, if you know what I mean. Then I thought, 'let's make it a made-up world', but I'm never good at pulling that off. So I settled for Meiji Japan. Now, let's say her mother was AMERICAN. Didn't think of that, did you? Yeah, well, I haven't decided if she will be or not. ^.^;; Either way, yeah. I don't know anything about Japanese foods, so yeah....... what DO they eat for breakfast? I've been kind of....... stark with the details about food, because I don't know what they really eat.  
  
But anywayz, THANK YOU for the reviews and constructive criticism (I was surprised at the 24 reviews for 2 chapters! That's 12 reviews a chapter!! Lol........) , and I'm glad you all like the idea for this story. Heehee, I'm back now, and I've got names for EVERYONE'S horse and EVERYONE'S dog. *wipes forehead* Hey, it took forever to come up with all of them. Lol....... If it's too corny, let me know. If Soujirou is OOC let me know. ^.^ I don't care if Aoshi and Misao are OOC, because it's an AU fic! But I DO want Soujirou to be IC. *bows* thank you! ^.~  
  
Enjoy this chapter, and please leave a review!! =^.~= Did you know I have No idea what to write??  
  
Little Is Much  
  
Chapter 3- Fear of what?  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Soujirou whistled as he made his way through the dog kennels stopping, of course, to pat several dogs on the head. Everyone in the Aoiya had a dog. Every single person. Well, except for Okina, Dr. Genzai, and Ayame and Tsuzume. They didn't need a dog.  
  
The Aoiya raised a lot of animals. In order to keep to themselves, they raised dogs, horses, chickens, and sometimes they had a cow or steer lying around somewhere. Right now though, there weren't any cows.  
  
All of the ninja's, spy's, and guards at the Aoiya had dogs that went with them on every mission. The dogs were trained exceptionally well, and would ONLY return home alone if their master or mistress was dead. If their master went missing, the dog would not come home. The horse would.  
  
Of course, that was Souzou's job. To train the horses for that. The horse returned if his/her master or mistress was captured, lost, or injured.  
  
Of course, the dog would stay with his master to keep him company, while the horse brought back help.  
  
And that was why Aoshi almost always sent people on missions in pairs. It was safer for the people, two dogs would be safer, and two horses guaranteed that if one horse was injured, they could double-up to get home.  
  
During the day, when not on a mission, all of the Aoiya's dogs were kept in the kennels. As were the pregnant or sick dogs. Aoshi always had his dog with him, unless of course, his German shepherd was scheduled for a bath- like today.  
  
That was Soujirou's first job- and his most hated one. Sometimes Kilika would come down to help him with his least favorite job, but she wouldn't be down until nearly mid-day.  
  
And Aoshi insisted that all the dogs be washed TODAY.  
  
Soujirou groaned and set up the dogs' washtub and soap and all that other fun stuff before going to get Fury, Aoshi's dog.  
  
The Fury Beating Round Us, or, Fury, was Aoshi Shinomori's German shepherd. All of the dogs also had pedigree names, though they weren't registered anywhere except in Soujirou's records. Fury was the biggest shepherd at the Aoiya, and was probably the most quiet.  
  
While other dogs barked and whined for attention- though, not while they were on a mission, of course- Fury kept to himself, much as his master did. He stood still through the washing, rinsing, and brushing that Soujirou administrated, and he even let the young man scratch his head.  
  
He tethered the large dog outside to dry out in the warm sun. In the grass, the dogs wouldn't get too dirty, and then usually a good brushing would do them well.  
  
One dog down, 19 to go.  
  
The next dog was Freedom, Kenshin's dog. Soujirou had no idea why Kenshin had named his dog something so strange, but.......it really wasn't any of his business.  
  
So he took "To Be Free Once More" out to be washed. Freedom was a golden retriever.  
  
The only dogs the Aoiya raised were German shepherds, Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, and Doberman Pinschers.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Misao awoke the next morning feeling rather strange. Was it her wounds? She glanced down quickly, but ruled that out. Her leg still looked as bad as ever. She couldn't see her back, and it still hurt as bad- maybe a little worse- as the day before.  
  
Her stomach lurched, and she stumbled out from under the tree she'd been sleeping under. She'd eaten too much for her stomach. All she'd had was a tiny slice of pie. But the nutrients were too much for her body to handle all at once.  
  
When she finished heaving up the night before's dinner, she collapsed onto the ground a few feet away.  
  
She was too weak to move. Maybe a little sleep would do her some good.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Aoshi was bored. More bored than usual, because all of his work was done. He couldn't help Soujirou wash the dogs', because the younger man would insist that Aoshi relax. How could he relax?!  
  
He drummed his fingers on his desk meticulously and wished for something to do. He could train, but that depended on if someone was already in the training hall or not. He'd have to be very careful.......  
  
He stood from his desk and headed to his room. First, he would have to change out of his yukata. He couldn't train properly with it on. Time for his regular outfit!  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Souzou happily scrubbed Rumbling Thunder [Thunder], his horse. He wouldn't be training and washing the Aoiya's horses for nothing. He loved them. Thunder was solid black, completely so, with no white (or any other color) showing on him anywhere.  
  
Thunder was a good horse, and very gentle, for being a male. The only stallion in the whole place was Aoshi's, Dancing Through The Fire [Firedancer]. All of the other male horses were geldings.  
  
But it was probably a good thing, because that made the horses more obedient and loyal to their masters.  
  
So far, Souzou had scrubbed up Kaoru's, On The Wings Of Destiny [Destiny] and Megumi's, Fly Away Forever [Fly-Away]. The next horse on the list to be washed was Omasu's, It's Only Fantasy [Fantasy].  
  
He really didn't know why their Okashira wanted all of the horses scrubbed so badly. Could a visitor be coming?  
  
Whenever someone important visited the Aoiya, Aoshi ordered everything cleaned and scrubbed- even the animals. At least the chickens didn't get washed.......  
  
He was just finishing up Thunder's rinsing when Tae came by with something for him to drink.  
  
"Hey Souzou," she greeted, handing him some cold water. Water was always the best thirst-quencher. "I heard that someone's coming by to visit tomorrow."  
  
Souzou's eyebrows raised. So, he was right.......  
  
"Who?" he asked, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.  
  
"Houji," she answered calmly. "I don't know what he wants with the Oniwabanshuu here, but I really wish he's just leave us alone."  
  
Souzou nodded. "Same here," he agreed. "I could swear he's trying to get something out of us."  
  
"The last time he came, Aoshi-san was furious. And usually, you can never tell what's going on inside his mind."  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Who's up next to clean?" she asked him.  
  
"Fantasy, and then Typhoon." Souzou shook his head. "I doubt if I'll get all of these horses done before the end of the day."  
  
"Maybe I can help later. And do you mean to say you haven't washed my Lightening?"  
  
"Sorry," he apologized. "She's after Typhoon." Lightening Across the Sky [Lightening] was Tae's horse. Lightening got her name because of her coloration. Solid black with a white blaze and a single white line down her chest that resembled a 'bolt'.  
  
"Well, I'll forgive you this time," she teased. "And I'll be down between lunch and dinner to help out. I might even be able to get Tsubame to take care of dinner with Yahiko. Who knows?"  
  
Souzou nodded. "I'd be grateful," he told her.  
  
"Good, I'll go see what I can do. It's almost 11:00 already! Time for me to start lunch."  
  
She ran off and Souzou tied up Thunder and went to get Typhoon.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Aoshi was slightly annoyed to find Shura, Katsu, Kamatari, and Amaura training in the hall. But he wouldn't bother them, because then they'd immediately leave him to train alone. 'But Okashira! We can train somewhere else!'  
  
He sighed and decided that a simple walk in the woods might do him some good.  
  
He wore his regular clothes with the trenchcoat. And he carried both his kodachi's with him. Who knew what was in the woods sometimes? Once he'd killed a wolf. The wind swept through the trees making an eerie whistling sound, and Aoshi pulled his trenchcoat just slightly closer.  
  
It was rather chilly.  
  
He suspected a long, harsh winter ahead. Especially since it was chilly already, and it was only August.  
  
Houji-san was coming the next day, and Aoshi was slightly nervous. Not that Houji scared him, but Houji was a very strange man, with a very strange attitude.  
  
And his girlfriend or wife.......whatever she was. Yumi was creepy, and she hung around Houji. He didn't care when women around the Aoiya wore clothing that showed their legs. They were ninja's after all, and had to be able to defend themselves. But for a woman's cleavage to show.......that was another thing entirely.  
  
Not only was it inappropriate, it was dishonorable as well. Only a woman's husband should be allowed to see that.  
  
Aoshi Shinomori was very set in his morals. And his morals were very simple.  
  
Men and women should be treated as equals. They wouldn't both have been put on the earth otherwise.  
  
Animals should be treated with kindness. He didn't tolerate animal cruelty, such as whipping horses or shooting dogs. They were put on the earth alongside humans, and they deserved to stay there.  
  
Women should be treated with the utmost respect. They cooked, cleaned, and bore children. Not to mention they would be a doting wife one day after marriage.  
  
A husband's duty was to live with, take care of, and protect his wife (and kids). Aoshi himself didn't have a wife, of course. And he didn't have anyone in mind either. But it was still a good true moral.  
  
Children are a blessing, and should be treated as such.  
  
And that was pretty much it. There were more, of course, like.......feelings should be kept mostly to yourself, but.......sometimes he didn't even pay attention to those himself.  
  
His step was quiet as he walked. The grass and leaves he left behind were barely startled by his footfalls. He was a ninja, and had been trained to be silent.  
  
He wondered how Soujirou would fare while Houji was around. The young man of 19 seemed to have a panic attack every time the older man came to visit. Aoshi himself hated him because the man's virtues were trash, and he seemed to like the nastiest things.  
  
He'd even tried to BUY members of the Oniwabanshuu. Soujirou, for some reason that Aoshi hadn't figured out yet, refused to leave his room when Houji came to the Aoiya. Kilika refused to find out why exactly the young man did this strange action.  
  
And Aoshi wasn't going to push for an answer.  
  
Soujirou would tell them when and if he wanted to.  
  
He wondered if Fury was clean yet. The dog would probably enjoy a walk. He detoured to the dog kennels to find out- and to tell Soujirou about Houji's coming.  
  
He found Soujirou and Kilika cleaning off Setting in the West [West] and Rising In The East [East].  
  
"Soujirou," he stated. "I need to have a word with you."  
  
Soujirou nodded and wiped his hands off on his blue pants. "What is it Okashira?" he asked.  
  
"I need two things. First, is Fury cleaned yet?"  
  
The young man nodded with a huge smile on his face. "Yes sir, I cleaned him first thing. He seemed to enjoy it."  
  
"Good. And the second thing....... I came by to inform you that Houji is coming tomorrow to discuss business."  
  
Soujirou immediately started shaking. Just a little bit- and barely noticeable- but Aoshi noticed nonetheless. And so did Kilika, though.......she didn't know WHY exactly Soujirou was shaking.  
  
His smile disappeared and he swallowed slightly. "May I.......?" he started.  
  
"You may stay in your room if you wish to."  
  
"Thank you Okashira!" he answered, his smile back in place.  
  
Aoshi nodded. "Would you kindly bring Fury to me? I'll be taking a walk."  
  
"Yes Sir!" Soujirou answered, and went to fetch his leader's dog.  
  
~*~  
  
Fury walked by his master's side with a lopsided grin on his face. People say dogs can't grin, but they can- when they're happy. Fury was very devoted to his master, and he was trained to alert him of anything suspicious. After all, who had the better sense of smell?  
  
Aoshi was slightly startled when he felt Fury tug on his lead. His dog almost never 'tugged' ahead. Maybe he knew something that Aoshi didn't. So he followed the dog until Fury stopped in a clearing.  
  
The Okashira didn't see anything unusual. He looked around carefully, but then Fury bolted- taking his lead with him. Aoshi was momentarily stunned. This was the first time the dog had EVER taken off like that.  
  
He followed as quickly as possible, but it was hard, and it took him a good few minutes to figure out what direction the animal had taken. Five minutes later, he stumbled upon a small clearing- so small that it only contained one tree in the center. Fury was busy moving over some dark shape.  
  
Aoshi walked closer, and saw that the 'shape' was really the girl from the day before- with the pie. Only....... she looked worse- if that was possible.  
  
The pie must have made her sick. That was the only explanation. Her face was the color of skim milk, and her black hair was messed up, falling all over her sleeping form.  
  
He felt a slight pang of pity for her when he noticed how thin she was. Not only was she short (very), she couldn't weigh more than 80 lbs.......at the most. He suspected that the pie was probably too much food for her to stomach at once.  
  
She looked dead, but he knew that she wasn't. Her stifled intake of air - which he suspected to be breathing- let him know she was alive.  
  
Her leg sported a gash, and where her shirt hung open at her stomach, all he could see was blackish blue. Fury threw his paw over her and rolled her towards him, though Aoshi tried to stop him.  
  
The gash on her back was worse than the one on her leg- not to mention it was almost twice as long. He mentally cringed at the dirt that clung to the nearly fresh - it couldn't be more than a few days old- wound.  
  
All at once, her breathing quickened and Aoshi looked down to see Fury licking her face gently.  
  
Her eyes snapped open, and Aoshi thought, 'She has pretty eyes.......' It was true, of course, because Aoshi didn't lie- even in his thoughts. Her eyes were a bright blue-green. Ocean-sprayed.  
  
Her eyes were wide in fear- and shock- and her body fairly trembled in fright.  
  
He realized that she was afraid.......of him? Or was she afraid of Fury? He snatched up the lead of his dog to pull him off of the frightened child- no- young woman. He- and Soujirou- had been mistaken. She was older than they'd given her credit for. At least 15.  
  
And he did have to hand it to her. Though she was scared to death, she didn't scream at all.  
  
She eyed his kodachi's nervously, and moved back against the tree.  
  
She needed help.......but.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Misao hovered between the dark and the light, and, for awhile, she could hear a panting sound. It got louder and louder, eventually stopping at her head. It sounded like a dog, but she wasn't sure.  
  
And she couldn't open her eyes.  
  
She didn't have the strength just yet to do that. She would have to wait awhile. If she saved her strength, if only for a few minutes, she would be able to open her eyes.  
  
Nothing happened for a few minutes, but she heard another sound- like footfalls in the grass- come to a halt by her side.  
  
Something flipped her over, and she waited a few minutes before snapping her eyes open.  
  
And what she'd seen- scared her.  
  
A DOG had flipped her over, and a man stood straight and tall beside the dog. Two of her greatest fears were right in front of her.  
  
She nearly sighed in relief when the man pulled the dog off of her, and she pushed herself against the tree behind her with a small burst of adrenaline. For a moment, the man before her looked hesitant, and backed up.  
  
And she took off.  
  
She ran, as fast as she could, until her legs buckled and she fell in a heap beside a small almost-invisible dirt road. She vaguely recognized the road as the same one from the day before, but she was too weak to move.  
  
Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
I think I need help....... Will you help me Lord? Just once more, please? Your will be mine, amen.......  
  
And, she remembered before her eyes slipped closed, that that was the shortest prayer she'd ever made.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Aoshi didn't know exactly why he had let her go. She would die for certain if she didn't get some medical treatment. Logically, he should have carried her back to the Aoiya and set Megumi, Okon, and Omasu in charge of helping her.  
  
But she'd been so frightened of him.  
  
And, for some strange reason.......  
  
.......he didn't want to scare her anymore.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
^.~ well, that's the end of chapter 3. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Lol, I had sooo many stories to update, and I got a burst of inspiration for "Mower-Girl Misao" so i.......wrote it! ^.^ Three chapters at once, though......I'm not ever posting that many chapters at once. ^_^  
  
Oh, and I have a whole background already made up for Soujirou. ^.^ It's not happy, and.......heh.......heh.......it has to do with Houji, Yumi, and Shishio.  
  
And I know what I want to happen next chapter.  
  
But I'm going to take a few days off to practice drawing and to read. ^.~ I have sooo many picture ideas to draw, and I need to get them down on paper!! Lol!  
  
Oh, and my old email - sweet_miss_Kaoru@yahoo.com, got terminated for some annoying reason. So if you emailed me there.......it was lost.  
  
Email me at my new email now, okay?  
  
Here's the name of everyone's horse AND dog. ^.^  
  
Name, horse's name, dog's name  
  
1.) Aoshi, Dancing Through The Fire :: Firedancer The Fury Beating Round Us :: Fury  
  
2.) Misao, The Echo of Loved Ones Near :: Echo An Angel From The Heavens :: Angel  
  
3.) Kenshin, Glory's Blazing Twilight To Be Free Once More :: Freedom  
  
4.) Kaoru, On The Wings Of Destiny :: Destiny Heaven's Cloud :: Heaven's Cloud  
  
5.) Sanosuke, Gravity Can't Hold Me :: Gravity Tears of the Rain :: Rain  
  
6.) Megumi, Fly Away Forever :: Fly-Away Forever Rainbows In The Skye :: Skye  
  
7.) Kamatari, Singer of the Winds :: Windsong Phoenix's Eternal Flame :: Phoenix  
  
8.) Amaura, Bubbling Brooke :: Brooke Layers of Harmony :: Harmony  
  
9.) Soujirou, To Run Like The Wind :: Windspeed Autumn's Immense Beauty :: Autumn  
  
10.) Kilika, Lead Me By Candlelight :: Candlelight Showers of Blessing :: Blessing  
  
11.) Souzou, Rumbling Thunder :: Thunder Life's Blazing Nova-Star :: Nova  
  
12.) Tae, Lightening Across The Sky :: Lightening Wave of Faith :: Faith  
  
13.) Katsu, The Fervor Frozen Inside :: Frozen Fervor Setting in the West :: West  
  
14.) Shura, Eye Of The Storm :: Typhoon Rising in the East :: East  
  
15.) Yahiko, Wishin' on a Star :: Star Raider of Lost Hope :: Raider  
  
16.) Tsubame, River of Emotion :: River Summer's Lovely Song :: Summer  
  
17.) Saitou, Oblivion in the Wake :: Oblivion Shadow In the Shadows :: Shadow  
  
18.) Tokio, Winter's Hopeful Wish :: Hope Spring's Tearful Voice :: Spring  
  
19.) Okon, Reality's Dream :: Dreamer Ring The Bells :: Belle  
  
20.) Omasu, It's only Fantasy :: Fantasy Far Beyond The Clouds :: Cloud  
  
On my computer, of course, it comes up in highlighter!! Lol.......but remember, the horses' names, THAN the dogs' names.  
  
Well, love you all lots! *hugs and kisses*  
  
~~Okashira Misao  
  
PS. Review please! You know you want to! ^ (that looks weird.......) 


	4. Poignant History and a Rescue

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  
  
Er.......the reason that the animal's all have PEDIGREE names is.......^^ Because that's what they are. All Purebred dogs[and horses] have a pedigree name if they're for anything BUT being a pet. If all the dogs were PETS, they'd have a simple name. Like, for example, Souzou will call his horse Thunder, and Tae will call hers Lightening, but they'll still have a pedigree name. That's why. All pedigree animals are called something shorter though, cause if Aoshi wanted his dog, he wouldn't yell "The Fury Beating Round Us!! Come here boy!"  
  
That would sound utterly stupid.  
  
So.......yeah.  
  
I enjoy writing this, and I think I'm now enjoying "In Your Eyes" as well. Wow, I can't believe I'm actually enjoying some fanfiction!! ^.^  
  
But I really wish some OTHER authors would update more than once a month....... growls at and kicks offending authors* Update sooner than THAT!!!! Wahhh! I really wish DarkFairy would update "A Part of Your World......." *whines and pleads* PLEASE?!  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Disclaimer:: Er.......no. It's probably a good thing.  
  
Chapter 4- Poignant History and a Rescue  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
The clamor and bustle of a morning at the Aoiya woke Soujirou the morning Mr. Houji was to come.  
  
He didn't move from where he lay on the futon.  
  
It just wasn't fair that one of the people he hated most in the world had to keep coming to torment him- even without looking at him.  
  
And nobody understood.  
  
Not even Kilika.  
  
Aoshi-san didn't know, and Kilika wanted to know. He wouldn't tell her though. Not for anything would he let ANYONE know about his childhood.  
  
Nobody would even believe him.  
  
In a time of peace, nobody kept.......  
  
Slaves.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Aoshi bid Kaoru a good-morning and walked down to the dog kennel to see who Soujirou had put in charge of feeding for the day.  
  
He should've known.  
  
Kilika.  
  
Well, at least the animals would be well-taken care of. That was for sure. Houji was due to arrive in.......approximately one and a half hours.  
  
That gave him enough time for a bath.  
  
And, of course, he'd have to have a little talk with Kamatari and Sanosuke. They would accompany him during his talk with Houji- just in case.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Soujirou shuddered. He could hear.......HIM. That bastard of a man. Hiding behind whoever his master was. And Yumi too. She acted like some common whore, the way she hung off of every man in sight.  
  
Despicable.  
  
He had the [mis]fortune of having his room be right next to where Aoshi's was. In fact, their rooms were back-to-back.  
  
And Soujirou wasn't sure if staying in his room was such a great idea. But it still beat running around the Aoiya and having to SEE Houji. He could only hear the man's annoying voice from under his blanket.  
  
He was embarrassed to admit it.......  
  
.......but he was AFRAID of Houji. And Yumi was no better. She was worse- not better than- the man who was currently talking to Aoshi, Kamatari, and Sanosuke in the adjoining room.  
  
He shook, just thinking about it.  
  
Unless of course, his Okashira asked him face-to-face. Nobody could lie to Aoshi Shinomori and get away with it.  
  
Not even when Soujirou plastered his happy-go-lucky grin on.  
  
Autumn panted from beside him. Autumn was- obviously- born during the fall. She was a small border collie. She went most everywhere with Soujirou because, well, the young man felt safer with her beside him.  
  
You could probably say that Soujirou was insecure about himself.  
  
He was a strong fighter, and, the Tenken rarely lost a fight.......but still.......  
  
~*~ FLASHBACK ~*~  
  
"What?" a teary seven-year-old boy asked, peering up at a stern-looking woman. "What'd I do?"  
  
"Just get out afore I change my damn mind and get the rifle from inside......." she growled irritably. "And put you outta your damn misery."  
  
"B-but mama......."  
  
"Scat! I ain't your momma any longer! Get outta my sight!"  
  
He sniveled and looked up at the woman who he'd called 'mom' since he'd started to talk. "But you ARE my mama!" he insisted, planting his feet firmly on the ground.  
  
"I ain't your mother! You don't have a mother! Your parents didn't want you boy! Don't you get it?! When you was just three days old, your real momma brought you here! My own son died, and she hadn't wanted you! Your real momma was a hoe boy! A whore, a prostitute! You were born out of wedlock, and your parents were both sinners! They'll rot in hell for what they've done!"  
  
"B-but.......I always thought you were my mama......."  
  
"Well I'm NOT! I can't feed you anymore! I ain't got no money. My Kyone is dead! And so is my REAL son! I've got three kids to feed, and you ain't my kid! You've got to go! I can't afford to keep you around any longer!"  
  
"W-what'll I do?"  
  
"I don't give a damn as to what you do. Just get offa my property and outta my sight!"  
  
"Y-yes mama......."  
  
"I'm not your god-forsaken mother! My name to you is Katashi-san, and nothing more! You should be grateful for the long years I've raised you, you worthless little kid! You don't ever do any work around this farm!"  
  
"I woulda worked, but ya never asked......." he sniffled, holding back the tears that threatened to escape him.  
  
"You're too skinny to do your share anyhow! Now git afore I take that rifle!"  
  
Little Soujirou took one look at the stern expression on her face and took off. She turned around and went into the house. Soujirou turned around and followed her. He wanted to see what she would tell her other three kids.  
  
Sure, her husband had died, her firstborn son had passed on before birth, and she had three little ones to support. But how exactly would she explain it to them that their oldest 'sibling' was gone?  
  
They never really liked him anyway.  
  
He was the only child in the house with blue eyes and black hair. All of the other children had black hair and BROWN eyes. 'You must be adopted!' they always teased. Of course, they hadn't liked him all that much anyway.  
  
He never played with them. Instead, all he did was clean- just like he was ordered. His 'mother' ran the farm, and he watched the children and cleaned the house. He'd even made dinner and lunch.  
  
And the other kids didn't like him because he ordered them around. Of course, they always lied to their mother and said he'd done something 'bad' when he hadn't done anything at all.  
  
He pressed his small hands against the windowpane and stared in through the cool glass, ignoring the cold wind against his back.  
  
"What were ya doin' momma?" the youngest girl asked, clutching her mother's skirts.  
  
"Just taking out the garbage......."  
  
Soujirou's eyes welled up and he dashed off to he knew not where. Nobody wanted him. Nobody.......  
  
He ran until he found a little stone bridge, and, finding shelter on a little ledge on one side, he curled up in a shivering ball clutching the only thing he owned.  
  
A small glass ball where there was a cabin and two little people. A man and a woman stood outside of the cabin with smiles etched onto their happy faces. And when you shook the little globe, snow sparkled and fell from above, making them look all the happier.  
  
He'd saved up for two and a half years for it. It came directly from a place called.......England. He thought that....... maybe the people in England were always happy.  
  
But he wasn't happy.  
  
And he fell asleep under the cold bridge with the little snow globe tucked in his arms, safe and warm.  
  
~*~ END FLASHBACK ~*~  
  
And that was the easiest time he had for a long time. After his 'mother' had kicked him out, not wanting to feed him anymore, he'd had a much worse life. But he tried not to think about it, because it only made him act strange.  
  
He didn't want to go into convulsions like the last time.  
  
And nobody had known why they'd happened.  
  
Except him.  
  
But if he told them about what had happened, everyone would want to know everything. And he couldn't bear to deal with that.  
  
Just then, he heard Houji and Yumi talking from Aoshi's room.  
  
Nobody else was in the other room. Why had Aoshi left those two alone? Autumn pressed her warm body against his and licked his cheek. She wagged her tail encouragingly, and he decided to see what the two people were talking about.  
  
He pressed his ear against the wall and hugged Autumn with one arm for support.  
  
"Did you see that girl Houji?" Yumi asked slyly from the other side of the wall.  
  
Houji smirked. "Of course I did Yumi dear......."  
  
"I'm taken Houji," Yumi purred. "You can't have me......."  
  
"Of course not Yumi. Now, what about the girl?"  
  
"We sure could use some kitchen help.......right?"  
  
"Always Yumi. Shall we give her the offer?"  
  
"Well......." Yumi sounded thoughtful. "She looked rather beaten up. Perhaps we should offer medical services. She won't be awake yet, of course. Maybe after we talk with Aoshi-san she'll wake up."  
  
"We can always wake her up ourselves Yumi......."  
  
"Yes, I know that! But we'd best hurry! She's lying all.......helpless next to the side of the road. We don't want Kenshin-san or someone to claim her first, do we?"  
  
Houji nodded. "What if she's dead?"  
  
"She's not. I could see her breathing. She is nearly dead though....... But I think we can get a few good.......days or maybe a week of work out of her. What do you think Houji?"  
  
"What if she's.......well....... retarded?" he asked. "She's so.......nasty."  
  
"I don't care how nasty she is. We'll toss her into some water and clean her up or something. Then we'll have her clean that kitchen a bit. I don't think Marino and Yutaro are doing a good enough job......."  
  
"Don't worry Yumi dear. I punished them accordingly."  
  
"Good. Now, how are we going to convince her to come with us? I think we should tell her that we've been looking for someone to clean, and that we're......."  
  
"Taking 'pity' on her....... And then WHAM! We take her with us."  
  
"Great. She's so scrawny, I'll bet she'll accept if we offer her a piece of chicken."  
  
"You're probably right."  
  
Soujirou didn't miss the sarcastic sound of Houji's voice when he suggested 'taking pity' on her. Now, who could she be?  
  
Then it hit him.  
  
She was scrawny, and a girl. Around here....... She was dirty, looked messed up....... Yep, it had to be that girl that he'd seen just the other day.  
  
He pulled away quickly. "Autumn," he told his dog. "I hafta do something....... But what if Houji sees me?"  
  
Autumn's ear twitched lightly and her tongue flapped out of her mouth in a pant. She cocked her head and looked at him with her dark brown eyes questioningly.  
  
"Yeah.......I've gotta do something.......without dropping any hints about myself....... I know!" he whispered loudly. "I'll tell Kamatari! He'll know what to do!"  
  
He jumped up and rushed out of his room. Now, where was Kamatari at?  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"That's disgusting!" Kamatari protested.  
  
"What a revolting idea!" Sanosuke yelled. "Who does he think he is?!"  
  
Aoshi shook his head. "Didn't I tell you?"  
  
"Hmph!" Kamatari snorted, closing his eyes. "What makes him think he can buy the Oniwabanshuu?!"  
  
"Actually," Aoshi corrected. "He wanted to buy a member......."  
  
"Did he say who?" Sano asked him.  
  
Aoshi shook his head slightly, his dark hair swinging around. "No."  
  
"For some reason, I really dislike Miss Yumi......." Kamatari scowled.  
  
"I don't like her either. But I don't like that Houji character either......."  
  
"They're trouble," Aoshi answered simply.  
  
"Let's get rid of them!" Kamatari declared.  
  
"Yeah, let's kick their sorry selves outta here!"  
  
Just then Soujirou ran around the corner and nearly crashed into Aoshi and Kamatari.  
  
Aoshi was surprised at Soujirou's entrance. He knew that the young man never left his room while Houji and Yumi were visiting. It was a rare thing indeed to see him out of his room.  
  
He grabbed Kamatari's sleeve and hauled the other man away.  
  
"What're they talkin' about?" Sano asked Aoshi.  
  
Aoshi shrugged. How would he know?  
  
"Kamatari, I've got a.......er......favor to ask of you," Soujirou told the older man.  
  
"Well, what can I do for you?" he asked, smoothing out his green gi and white hakama. "Girl trouble?" he asked, winking at the younger man.  
  
"Er.......no. Well.......in a way, but not really."  
  
"Well, spit it out!"  
  
"Well.......uhm....... Would you follow Houji and Yumi when they leave?"  
  
"Why's that Soujirou?" Kamatari asked puzzled. "That's a strange request."  
  
"Well....... do you remember that girl from the other day that I saw?"  
  
"The homeless one?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm positive she really is homeless. She's just too skinny not to be. Anyway, I heard Yumi and Houji talking about her. They want her to.......work for them."  
  
"What's so bad about that?"  
  
"Trust me. DO NOT let her go with them. Er....... Tell Aoshi-san to go along too. He might want to tag along. I know he doesn't trust Houji either."  
  
"Well, neither do I. But I still don't see what's so terrible about them taking her in. She doesn't have anywhere to go, after all. And she's starving besides."  
  
"Well......." Aoshi put in, stepping between them. "She's terrified of men."  
  
"Pardon?" Kamatari asked, his composure back after his Okashira appeared out of nowhere.  
  
"I saw her yesterday. She won't live for more than a few days- at the most- without medical treatment."  
  
"Why didn't you bring her back here then?!" Soujirou asked him stunned.  
  
"She was scared to death of Fury and me. The second I stepped back, she took off."  
  
"Scared, or terrified?" Sanosuke asked, also coming in to the conversation.  
  
"Terrified. She was trembling."  
  
"Hmm....... but at least she'd have something to eat......." Kamatari argued.  
  
"You don't get it, do you?" Soujirou ordered. "I said DON'T let them take her with them."  
  
"I won't," Aoshi assured him. "But why?"  
  
Soujirou shook his head. "I have my reasons."  
  
Aoshi nodded. "Fine. I respect that."  
  
Soujirou sighed in relief. "Thank you Aoshi-san."  
  
"We should probably take her back here then," Kamatari told him.  
  
"Yeah," Sano agreed. "You said she was near-death, didn't you Okashira?"  
  
Aoshi nodded in conformation. "She's injured rather badly."  
  
"Then we should have the kitsuné take a look at her, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"I suppose."  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Aoshi had a feeling that Soujirou knew something he didn't. And he intended to find out as soon as possible. In the meantime, he left Soujirou, Kamatari, and Sanosuke back at the Aoiya. He decided to follow Yumi and Houji alone.  
  
It would be safer- not to mention quicker and more efficient- that way.  
  
Up ahead, he saw the two black and brown horses that were Yumi and Houji's.  
  
He started forward to observe what went on.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Misao was shaken awake from her deep unconsciousness. Her wide ocean- sprayed eyes looked up to meet two strangers'. A man and a woman.......  
  
The woman was dressed strangely, in a kimono.......but....... she wore it off her shoulders.  
  
The man had narrowed eyes that made her cringe inwardly. He didn't look very nice. And the woman with him looked like a.......well.......she wasn't sure.  
  
The man stepped forward, and her eyes widened fearfully. What did he want with her?!  
  
"Houji, stop it!" the woman ordered. "She's afraid of you......." She pushed the man away and stepped forward, kneeling beside her. "Hello honey, my name is Yumi, and this is Houji."  
  
Misao's gaze flicked fearfully from the woman to the man, and back again.  
  
"Houji and I've been looking for someone to work at our place. We thought that you might want to apply for cleaning. We need someone new to clean up our kitchens. You'd get three meals a day, and a futon in your own room if you agree."  
  
Misao looked down. The thought of having at least one meal a day sounded good to her, but.......she didn't really want to go with someone she didn't know.  
  
Did she?  
  
"Just think about it for a few minutes, okay dear?"  
  
She reached out a hand and set it on Misao's shoulder. Misao though wasn't used to other people touching her- unless it was to hurt her- and she flinched back and started shaking.  
  
She couldn't control it.  
  
She didn't want to go with this Yumi character. She just didn't.......seem right.  
  
A few minutes later, Yumi returned with Houji. "Have you decided yet dear?" she asked.  
  
Misao couldn't answer. She hadn't spoken in a long time, and even if she wanted to speak her opinion, she couldn't. She didn't even have the energy to shake her head. And her leg burned like a hot poker in the flames.  
  
"I just knew you'd want to help us!" Houji exclaimed.  
  
"Thank you so much dear. Now, come along."  
  
"I think she's mute Yumi dear," Houji told her.  
  
"Who cares?" she shrugged. "Just pick her up and put her on my horse. She'll ride back with me."  
  
She whined pathetically when Houji picked her up rather roughly and started walking away- not even giving note to her injured back or leg. In fact, his arm was pressed against her messed up back.  
  
"Don't worry darling!" Yumi told her. "We'll get you all fixed up!"  
  
She wanted to scream, to bite them, to run away. These people just didn't seem right! Her eyes welled up with tears and she jerked her head away once. That was all she could manage.  
  
"Don't be so immature girl," Yumi muttered. "Act like a woman, not like a baby. A little pain never hurt anyone......."  
  
The tears in her eyes spilled over and ran down her face, leaving a dirty smudged trail.  
  
"Give her to me."  
  
Houji turned around abruptly, swinging Misao around so her braid whipped around them. "What do YOU want?" Yumi asked irritably. "Do you want her for yourself? I thought you were dirty, but my goodness. I USED to have a slightly better opinion."  
  
Misao's eyes focused on the tall man standing before them. He was the same man as the day before, only he didn't have the trenchcoat. His German shepherd stood by his side, growling at Houji.  
  
She shook harder. She wanted away from everyone and everything. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone?  
  
She didn't want to go with either of them. What if what Yumi said was true?! Maybe this tall man wanted her for some reason. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.  
  
Houji stepped towards the black and brown horse standing in the near- invisible road.  
  
"Houji......." the tall man threatened.  
  
He stopped.  
  
"Shut up Aoshi-san. You're just trying to use an innocent girl for bad purposes," Yumi told him haughtily.  
  
"Look at her. By the time you get her to your home, she'll be dead."  
  
"Maybe," Houji shrugged. "We're just trying to be good citizens."  
  
"Bull."  
  
Yumi shrugged. "Believe what you want," she told him. "Come along Houji. We have places to be."  
  
"Give her to me NOW," Aoshi commanded.  
  
"And what are you gonna do about it?"  
  
He unsheathed both of his kodachi's and held them up in the air. "I'll kill the both of you." He lowered them and looked down at the dog panting at his side. "Actually, I think Fury could take care of the both of you alone."  
  
"Awww......a little doggy?"  
  
Misao winced at the deep growling emitting from the crouched dog.  
  
"Get ready," Aoshi told the dog.  
  
"For what?" Houji asked him. "For a treat?"  
  
"Don't be stupid Houji."  
  
"Go!"  
  
Fury leapt forward and bit down hard on Houji's leg. Yumi gasped and jumped on her horse as quickly as she could.  
  
"You're worse than I thought Aoshi-san! Attacking people who are just trying to help others!"  
  
Houji yelped and flung Misao away from him. She wasn't worth THIS.  
  
"Don't be so immature Houji," Aoshi mocked, catching Misao neatly with one arm. "Act like a man, not a baby. A little pain never hurt anyone......."  
  
He shifted Misao in his arms so he wasn't touching her wounds at all. "You show your faces here one more time, and I WILL kill you both. I won't hesitate. Come Fury," he ordered, snapping his fingers.  
  
Fury trotted alongside his master and looked up at Misao as if to say, "Yay! You're with us now!"  
  
Misao watched Yumi and Houji gallop away at full speed.  
  
"I wanted more kitchen help!" Yumi whined when they were out of hearing range.  
  
"Don't worry dear. Shishio's woman gets whatever she wishes......." Houji muttered.  
  
Misao felt her eyelids get heavy, and she felt Fury nudge her arm that hung down. Then she realized something.  
  
What was this Aoshi guy going to do with her?  
  
She started shaking again in fear- and anxiety. She wanted to get away from everyone so she could just sleep for a long, long time.......just like she wanted to do.  
  
"I won't hurt you," he said, startling her and making her wince.  
  
Was he supposed to sound reassuring?  
  
She stopped shaking, just a little bit. He did sound truthful in his statement.  
  
Her eyelids fell shut and she allowed herself to sleep in this strange man's arms. She had a feeling that he could be trusted- at least- a little bit.  
  
But she couldn't sleep without praying first.  
  
Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
Thank you for sending this man to help me get away from Houji and Yumi. I don't like them. I don't think they're trustworthy. Please help me on the road ahead of me, because I don't know what will happen, or what I should do. Say hello to my family, and tell Kiva I've found her a dog friend. Fury seems nice, so long as he's not attacking. But I think he'll only listen to his master. Thy will be mine also. Amen.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
End of chapter 4! I know what I want the next chapter to be about! Yay!!!! ^.^ It'll mostly be about Soujirou I think. A little appearance of Sano, Kenshin and co, and I think I'll have a few unexpected characters show up. ^-~  
  
^___________^ So all you Soujirou fans can cheer. Lotsa angst for poor Sou- chan! *huggles poor Soujirou* *huggles Aoshi* *huggles them both*  
  
I found a really cute fan art of Soujirou. ^.^ *glomps an innocent Soujirou* And a cute one of Aoshi too....... *glomps Aoshi as well*  
  
Well, please review!!! ^-~  
  
~~Okashira  
  
Ps. I'll see ya'll next chapter, I suppose! Unless you won't come by and visit me again.......*pouts and cries* PLEASE COME BACK!!!  
  
REVIEW OR I'LL MAKE YOU MY MIND SLAVES!! Mwahaha! Okay, maybe not. Please? 


	5. Is There A Heaven For Me?

Okay, I guess you won't become my mind-slaves.......*sigh* And I was so  
hoping.......  
  
Haha, j/k. Anyway, I'm happy to see that everyone seems to like this  
story! ^.^ If you're offended by cussing, I'm sorry. But think about it  
this way. In real life, people cuss, and (especially in movies) the  
villains have to cuss to make them seem even more evil.  
  
(sorry, long a/n today.......) Anyway, Hannya and co will be in this  
story, as will a.......heh, heh, unexpected character. The storyline won't  
pick up until everyone starts separating into groups and such-forth and  
going on 'missions'. ^__^ And that's also where the romance will start up.  
^-~ And not just 'damsel in distress'. Overdose on that and you'll meet  
your demise. ^^;;  
  
And the Christianity picks up this chapter, expect lots of it for awhile.  
Okay? This won't be a 'let's get everyone we know saved' fic, but there  
will be several Christians around. NO, Aoshi doesn't meditate. Lol! But  
he's not a Christian yet either. ^-~ And if you're offended by  
Christianity, sumimasen. Suck it up.  
  
And for all you Soujirou fans, he gets his angst part, as does Misao. And  
yes, Sou-chan and Misao-chan will become the best of friends, and they'll  
gang up on Aoshi-sama (the poor guy). ^^;;;  
  
Hm.......now, this story will be a giant songfic.......haha.......well,  
sort of. Some chapters will be based on angsty songs(I hope). So, do you  
have any? Give me the song name, and singer please. I think Sarah Mclachlan  
(sp?) has some angsty songs, but I'm not sure. Lol! The only ones I know  
are pretty much Christian. Haha. Well, let me know. ^__^  
  
The song for this chapter is, "Is There A Heaven For Me" sung by Ray Boltz.  
I changed the 'she' to a 'he' for my story's purposes, alright? So the  
child in the song is really a girl, not a boy.......but I changed it cause  
I'm allowed.  
  
Can everyone say, Missionary?  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ray Boltz songs, or anything else really. I own  
the dogs, horses, and Amaura and Kilika, but the rest of the Kenshin-gumi I  
don't own....... =( I wish I did though! It'd be nice! ^___^  
  
~*~  
  
Is there a heaven for me?  
A place I won't be hungry or cold  
  
That is a place that I would love to see  
  
Is there a heaven, for me?  
  
~Ray Boltz, "Is There A Heaven For Me?"  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
His small head pressed against the crude door to the large building before  
him. He could hear a man inside, talking loudly and his voice carried out  
the windowless building into the cold winter air.  
  
He heard him preaching  
In the church  
  
His small hands clutched at the torn dirty clothing he was wearing, and his  
face stung sharply from the cold. The wind blew strongly on this blistery  
winter day, almost howling through the sparse foliage that still existed.  
The trees were stripped bare of green, and the ground was covered with  
fresh white snow.  
  
He tried  
But he could not get in  
  
The building would surely be warmer than the open-spaced outdoors. His  
small white hands fumbled for a handle, a hole, or any possible way to get  
inside of the structure. He licked his wind-chapped lips lightly and ran  
around back to see if there was a way inside. There was not.  
  
He was a lonely child  
On the street  
  
He found a small impression in the snow beside the back wall of the  
building, and he wriggled his body inside to listen to the strange words  
that were being spoken. The words gave him a strange sense of comfort,  
though he did not know their meaning, or what was being said. And while he  
listened, he pulled something from his gi.  
  
The wind was cold against his skin  
The wind was cold against his skin  
  
The small snow-globe glowed in the winter evening light. The man and the  
woman smiled from inside of the little glass globe, and the snow fell on  
them, and they smiled. The boy wondered how the couple could be smiling in  
the cold, when it chilled him so much. Their cabin fairy glowed with a  
strange sense of hope, and peace radiated outward into the dark night.  
  
He heard the sound of strange new words  
That someone else would then explain  
  
He tucked the globe- his only possession- securely back into his gi. Then  
he listened attentively to what the man inside was saying. He didn't  
understand what was being said, but somehow, the words came to his mind in  
his own language.  
  
They spoke of Heaven  
And a savior's name  
  
He wondered what this, 'Heaven' was. And why this man was speaking so  
highly of it. Then, knowledge came to him. It was a place of refuge from  
the cold harsh life. How nice it would be to live in a place such as that.  
A place where he would never be cold, never be tired.......  
  
They said that Jesus  
Was his name  
  
A savoir....... If he saved people from broken lives, then he surely was a  
savior. A savior among men, and a man to be looked up to. He hugged his  
arms to his body and wished for a better life.  
  
Is there a Heaven for me?  
A place I won't be hungry or cold.......  
  
Jesus sounded like a nice man, and the way the man in the church was  
speaking of him, he had to be a good person. He wished that he could  
someday meet someone as nice as him. Somehow, he just knew that Jesus must  
live in the paradise known as Heaven. It seemed to suit him and the way  
the man inside the building spoke of him.  
  
That is a place that I would love to see  
Is there a Heaven, for me?  
  
Well, was there? Was there a heaven for him? He thought about it for a  
long while, his ill-fitting clothes slipping from his shoulders. He  
wrapped his arms around himself again, savoring the momentary warmth for as  
long as he could. Then the chill seeped back through his bones with a  
shudder.  
  
Thoughts plagued his mind as he listened. Would he ever be a part of this  
Heaven place? He surely wanted to be. He caught the words of the man  
inside, and he was saying something about Heaven being a place for 'happy'  
people. He wasn't happy, so would he not be accepted into such a glorious  
realm of love and bliss?  
  
He waited patiently for hours  
Until at last he saw him leave  
  
He watched the people leave the church, one by one the foreign-looking  
people stepped from the building and into the darkened night. He knew that  
these people were not of the same origin as himself. Most had lighter skin  
and different hair colors. But there were a few Japanese in the mix. One  
family stood out to him the most.  
  
A Japanese man of medium height stood beside a smaller western-looking  
woman with black hair and sparkling blue-green eyes. Clinging to her  
kimono was a small girl of no more than five years, her wide eyes just like  
her mother's catching his in the dark. And the small girl's mother's words  
in his own tongue caught the wind and flew to him, and he listened.  
  
"That was a nice service, wasn't it anata?" she smiled, holding her  
husband's arm.  
  
"Aa.......it was," he answered shortly.  
  
"Too bad it's the last one.......it's a shame. But there will be more  
services, ne?"  
  
"Aa, there will be."  
  
She brightened. "I'm glad. They're really inspiring."  
  
"They are," he agreed. "We'd better get back home though koishíi. Before  
the snow covers the road."  
  
"Hai!" she smiled, and picked up the little girl, whose eyes were still  
trained on him.  
  
"Okaa-san!" she protested. "I can walk, you know."  
  
"Hai, I know. But don't you want to get home?"  
  
"Hai. Is Kiva still in the wagon, do you suppose?"  
  
"Aa musume. She'll be there."  
  
"Kiva!" the small girl yelled, her long braid flying in the breeze.  
  
At her call, a dog's head popped out of a nearby wagon, barking excitedly.  
The little girl's enthusiasm seemed contagious, as her father put an arm  
around his wife and led his little family to the wagon.  
  
The little girl jumped into the back of the wagon kicking up straw and  
buried herself in the warm light grass. The dog settled herself next to  
the girl, and she hugged her pet's neck. "I love you Kiva!" she giggled,  
and Kiva licked her hand.  
  
"What about your Okaa-san?" her mother asked.  
  
"And your Tou-san!" her father chimed in. "Don't you love us?"  
  
"Sure I do Okaa-san! And you too Tou-san! Aisúru!"  
  
The small boy smiled forlornly and watched their wagon as the two black  
horses pulled it out of sight.  
  
Wouldn't it be nice to be a part of a family again?  
  
~*_~*_~*_+_*~_*~_*~  
  
He shut the Bible lightly, and sighed tiredly. It was his last day  
teaching here at this church, for he was going back to America for a few  
years. His birthplace, so far away. He had come to Japan to spread God's  
word to his father's people. He was only 18, and the youngest Missionary  
to ever come to Japan.  
  
The people here weren't very accepting of what he taught, but there were  
still the few Americans who had come to Japan to learn of the culture. And  
they came regularly to his services. They were only once a week, on  
Sunday, and he made sure to make them long enough to last the brothers and  
sisters of the church a week.  
  
And now he was leaving. After a year-and-a-half of teaching and showing the  
way to Heaven, he was going home. Back to his fiancée that he'd left in  
New Jersey, his lovely young bride.......Tsubake. He sighed contentedly.  
He hadn't seen her in so long. He couldn't wait until his wedding day.  
  
He promised the Makimachi family that he would be back to visit them when  
he had a family. Technically though, he already had a family. Tsubake's  
younger siblings would be under their care after their reunion. He'd taken  
a liking to Jun and Seishuku Makimachi and their little daughter Misao.  
They were such nice people.......  
  
He packed up his few possessions in the church and locked them inside a  
briefcase  
that lay on the first row pews. He stood in the doorway, facing the  
church, and gave a silent farewell.  
  
He stepped out into the cold snow, and walked around back to where he'd  
left his horse. Suddenly, a small child ran before him, speaking quickly  
and making no sense.  
  
He couldn't understand the words  
He said  
  
"Whoa!" he smiled, bending over to put a hand on the boys head. "Speak  
slowly son, it's hard for me to understand you." He heard the boy rattle  
off a string of half-English, half-Japanese phrases that he couldn't quite  
understand.  
  
"Nán desu ka?!"  
  
"What's what son?"  
  
"Heaven, nán desu ka!?"  
  
"Ah......." he said, patting the skinny child. "Téngoku, sore subarashíi!"  
  
"Hontoo?"  
  
"Aa......."  
  
So he asked  
"Tell me, what he means"  
  
"Dái ichí no, Onamae wa? Namae wa Anji to iimásu." [First, what is your  
name? My name is Anji.]  
  
"Namae wa Soujirou to iimásu."  
  
"Well Soujirou, what did you want to know?"  
  
Is there a Heaven for me?  
A place I won't be hungry or cold  
  
Anji felt his heart constrict at the boy's words. He.......he wanted to  
know if he would be allowed into the kingdom of Heaven even if he didn't  
smile.  
  
That is a place that I would love to see  
Is there a Heaven, for me?  
  
The boys blue eyes shone with tears as Anji pulled him into a hug. "Of  
course Soujirou.......of course......." he mumbled. "Though, smiling does  
help." He smiled kindly at the child, and began to tell him about God and  
Jesus, and the wonderful realm known as Heaven.  
  
And on the street they knelt and prayed  
And on that night  
  
Soujirou's eyes held a new spark when he lifted his eyes up to Anji's brown  
depths. "Arígatoo......." he mumbled lightly, and a smile broke out on his  
face. I'll smile, for Jesus," he told the young preacher. "Would he like  
that?"  
  
"Aa, I'm sure Jesus would love that," he told him.  
  
A child was saved  
Listen closely, you'll hear more than just this boy  
  
"I'm glad." Soujirou pulled the small globe from his gi and watched the  
snow fall onto the happy people inside. "Do you suppose they know Jesus?"  
  
"Maybe," Anji answered. "Dóo shite?"  
  
"Because they're smiling......."  
  
You'll hear the children  
Of the world  
  
Anji felt his eyes watering up. This child used simple logic so  
wisely....... "Aa," he answered, swallowing thickly. "But it's alright to  
cry, even if you do know Jesus. He'll understand."  
  
Soujirou blinked rapidly. He shook his head vehemently. "But I don't want  
Jesus to be sad because of me......." he told Anji. "I want him to be  
happy."  
  
Anji pulled the little boy into a hug. "He is happy Soujirou.......He is.  
He's happy because you're his friend. Don't forget it........"  
  
You'll hear the children  
Of the world.......  
  
"Anji-san......." Soujirou mumbled. "Could you teach me......."  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Inóru.......onegai?" [to pray, please?]  
  
"Aa, of course I will Soujirou......." Anji promised, and folded his hands.  
"Do it like this......." he started, instructing the young boy how to  
pray. "Just remember....... the  
Lord God is always listening, and you don't have to pray aloud for him to  
hear. Just pray from in here......." he told him, patting his heart. "God  
will listen to every word."  
  
"Hontoo?"  
  
"Aa......."  
  
Is there a Heaven for me?  
A place I won't be hungry or cold  
  
"Doomo arígatoo gozaimásu Anji-san......."  
  
"Dóo itashimáshite Soujirou-chan, Dóo itashimáshite......."  
  
"When will I get to see Heaven?"  
  
That is a place that I would love to see  
Is there a Heaven for me?  
  
"Not for awhile Soujirou-chan, not for awhile, God willing."  
  
"Dóo shite?"  
  
"You go to Heaven when you leave this place Soujirou-chan."  
  
"I wouldn't mind leaving......." Soujirou pondered.  
  
Is there a Heaven for me?  
A place I won't be hungry or cold  
  
"Oh Soujirou, God would be sad to see you have to leave here so soon.  
Heaven is a reward for a life well-lived. After you live your life, you go  
to live with Jesus in the clouds. God wants you to live your life out down  
here on Earth first......."  
  
"Hontoo?"  
  
Aa, he does. You want to make God proud, ne?"  
  
"Hai......." he nodded slowly.  
  
Anji patted his head. "Keep your chin up, alright Soujirou? When times get  
rough, just remember that God's with you, no matter where you go or what  
happens." Anji stood up, and set his hat on his head. Then he thought  
better, and placed the large warmly-knit cap on little Soujirou's head.  
"Keep warm son," he told him, kneeling down to give him a hug.  
  
"Dónna ni?" [how?]  
  
"Just remember that God's in here," he told him, placing his large hand  
over the little boy's heart. "He'll warm your heart and soul......."  
  
"Doomo arígatoo gozaimásu, mata......." he stated clearly. "No tame ni  
zémbu." [Many thanks, again. For everything.]  
  
"Dóo itashimáshite Soujirou-chan. Perhaps we will meet again someday."  
  
Soujirou smiled up at him. "That would be nice Anji-san."  
  
That is a place that I would love....... to see  
Is there a Heaven, for me.......?  
  
"And if not......."  
  
"I'll see you in Heaven," Soujirou said firmly. "Ne?"  
  
"Aa, that is true."  
  
Is there a Heaven....... for me?  
  
"Sayonara Anji-san....... I'll see you again."  
  
"Sayonara Soujirou-chan," Anji said, turning around and walking to his  
horse. Soujirou watched the tall preacher gallop off in the distance, his  
stead kicking up the powdery snow behind him.  
  
He'd asked the question that he'd wondered about.  
  
Is there a Heaven.......  
For me?  
  
And the answer.......was yes.  
  
He put his hand over his heart and felt the warmth seep into his cold hand.  
  
And he smiled.  
  
~*_~*_~*_+_*~_*~_*~  
  
Soujirou looked out at the landscape anxiously, his hand over his heart.  
The warmth was still there, even after all those years of hardships, pain,  
and suffering. He watched the figures of Yumi and Houji's horses galloping  
off, and he saw Aoshi-san slip into the shadows.  
  
He worried. Worried for the young woman out in the forest....... What if  
Yumi and Houji did find her?  
  
Dear Heavenly Father.......  
  
Please protect the young woman out there. Help Aoshi-san to get to her  
before something terrible happens. And give him the strength to fight if it  
is needed. Give this young woman your protection, the same as you did for  
me all these years. She surely needs it, because I know what it's like to  
be where she now is. Show her mercy God, and help her along the pathway.  
Let your will me mine also.......Amen.  
  
His blue eyes shimmered at the memories of his childhood, stripped away  
before he wanted it to be, burned and slashed....... He felt something  
nudge his side, and he looked down to see Autumn pushing her small black  
nose against his leg.  
  
He bent over to pat the dog on the head, and saw a pair of sandals beside  
the dog. He looked up to see a young woman with black hair and dark blue-  
ish eyes.  
  
"She wanted to see you," the young woman explained. "She was worried."  
  
"Thank you Kilika," he told her.  
  
"What were you doing just then?" she asked.  
  
"That?" he smiled. "I was praying."  
  
~*_~*_~*_+_*~_*~_*~  
  
Aoshi looked down at the small girl in his arms. She was so small, it was  
hard to believe she was even real. He had to wonder how Soujirou had known  
that she would need assistance.  
  
She wouldn't be able to eat hardly anything for a long time.......he  
reasoned to himself. She couldn't have possibly eaten anything for the  
past few days, and even before that, he could only guess how much she'd  
eaten.  
  
Probably not anything worth being considered food.  
  
He felt something hit his knee, and looked beyond the girl he held to see  
her braid hanging down over his hand and downward. The small gold-colored  
clasp that held the braid in place was knocking against his knee, and he  
picked it up in his left hand, balancing her with his right. He set the  
braid in a coil on her stomach, and adjusted her again so that he could  
carry his twin kodachi's.  
  
Fury nudged her bare foot with his nose and sneezed lightly.  
  
Aoshi looked down to see the burns and scars on her feet. He cringed  
inside, but, on the outside, he didn't so much as twitch.  
  
The German shepherd sneezed again, and walked alongside his master,  
sniffing the air occasionally, probably making sure Houji and Yumi really  
were gone this time. Aoshi was glad the two were gone, and hoped he would  
never have to see them again.  
  
If they did return, they'd probably be killed before they even reached the  
front gate of the Aoiya.  
  
There was no way two fighters could get past more than twenty ninja's  
trained in many different styles. He himself knew kenpo, and the Nitou  
Kodachi Ryuu. Nobody would be able to get past the Oniwabanshuu members.  
They were just too good for that.  
  
Why had they wanted this young woman anyway? She wasn't strong enough to  
actually DO any work for them.......unless.......  
  
His face paled slightly. He silently cursed the couple. Now he knew what  
they were up to. Soujirou most likely had figured it out also. He would  
ask the young man if he knew EXACTLY what the two were up to. There could  
be more to it than he knew.  
  
He had the strange feeling that something was brewing.......and he wanted  
to know exactly what. He quickened his pace and made it back to the Aoiya  
within minutes. "Fury, come," he ordered.  
  
Fury trotted alongside him, and Aoshi entered into the kitchen where Omasu  
and Okon were chatting with Tae and Souzou.  
  
When they saw him, their faces paled and their mouths dropped.  
  
"What?!" Souzou exclaimed, leaving the company of the three women to find  
out what was going on.  
  
"Souzou," Aoshi ordered. "Find Shura and Kenshin. Have them patrol the  
grounds along with Kamatari and Saitou. Make sure that nobody, I mean  
NOBODY makes it inside."  
  
"Yes Okashira," Souzou saluted, and dashed off.  
  
"Okon, go to Megumi-sensei and tell her I am coming. Omasu, you go as  
well. I will be putting this young woman in your charge's."  
  
"Yes Aoshi-san."  
  
Okon dashed off and Omasu followed. He walked slowly so as to not jar the  
girl too much. He got some stares from a few people, but his famous 'ice  
glare' told them not to ask questions yet.  
  
"Oh my!" Megumi paled when she saw the young woman in his arms. "Put her  
down over there." She pointed to a pallet on the floor, and Aoshi obliged.  
  
"Okon and Omasu will help you with her," he told them. "Come to me if she  
wakes up."  
  
He waited for their nod of acceptance, and left quickly to change from his  
ninja uniform into a simple white yukata.  
  
She had, after all, bled all over his uniform.  
  
After he had changed, he went to look for Soujirou. He had some questions  
for the  
young man that he wanted.......NEEDED.......answered. If Soujirou didn't  
know, then he would ask Sanosuke for his assistance in the matter as well.  
  
He finally found Soujirou talking with Kaoru's sister, Kilika. Soujirou's  
dog was at his feet panting happily.  
  
"Soujirou," he said simply.  
  
"Hai Okashira?"  
  
"I need to speak with you."  
  
"Certainly Aoshi-san. I will speak with you later Kilika-dono." Soujirou  
left Kilika's company and started to walk with Aoshi. "What did you want  
to speak with me about, Okashira?" he asked, and watched Aoshi's dark  
expression. "It must be important."  
  
"Aa, it is."  
  
~*_~*_~*_+_*~_*~_*~  
  
Mwahaha! That's the end of chapter 5, yah, yah. I hope you enjoyed it.  
^.^ The song is one of my favorite's, most definitely. ^.^ This chapter  
was shorter than most, but ehhh...... I wanted to leave it there. The next  
chapter, Misao might wake up, things will happen, more characters will show  
up.......blah.......blah.......  
  
I bet you weren't expecting Anji to be the preacher! Let's just say that  
he's not a fallen monk in this. And, just so you know, he looks like he did  
BEFORE Tsubake and co. died in the anime. ^^;; Only, they lived in my fic.  
^__^ Poor Anji, didn't want him to be all alone! And he has.......*gasp*  
HAIR IN THIS FIC! I thought about making Hiko be the preacher  
but......*cough* It wouldn't have worked. He would have probably called Sou-  
chan a 'baka'.......lol  
  
Well, what did I tell you? The Spiritual stuff picked up in here, you found  
out that *gasp* Soujirou's a Christian too! Aww....... I love Sou-chan,  
therefore I had to give him SOMETHING cool to do. Anyway, I hope you liked  
this! Soujirou and Misao will become great friends, but they won't be  
paired. Remember, it's Aoshi/Misao. ^^;;;;  
  
See you all, and I really would appreciate a review for this chapter! ^___^  
  
~~Okashira Misao  
  
PS. REVIEWWWWWW or I might change my mind and make you a mind slave after  
all! Haha!  
  
Japanese Terms.......(I know, they're so cool.......lol)  
  
Anata- darling/dear/beloved. A wife to her husband  
  
Aa- yes, masculine  
  
Ne?- right?  
  
Koishíi- dear/honey/sweetheart. A man to his wife  
  
Hai- yes, yeah, okay  
  
Okaa-san- mother  
  
Tou-san- father  
  
Musume- daughter  
  
Aisúru- I love you, child to parent  
  
Nán desu ka?- what is it?  
  
Téngoku, sore subarashíi- Heaven, it's wonderful  
  
Hontoo- really  
  
Dái ichí no, Onamae wa? Namae wa Anji to iimásu- First, what is your name?  
My name is Anji.  
  
Namae wa Soujirou to iimásu- My name is Soujirou  
  
Arígatoo- thank you  
  
Dóo shite?- why?  
  
-san- Mr. / Miss / Mrs. / Sir  
  
Inóru.......onegai- to pray.......please?  
  
Doomo arígatoo gozaimásu Anji-san- Thank you very much Anji-san  
  
Dóo itashimáshite Soujirou-chan, Dóo itashimáshite- You're very welcome  
Soujirou-chan, you're very welcome.  
  
-chan- little, endearment added to the end of a name. Usually for a child,  
or for a young woman by a guy that likes her! =P  
  
Dónna ni?- how?  
  
Doomo arígatoo gozaimásu, mata.......- thank you very much, again.......  
  
No tame ni zémbu- for everything  
  
Sayonara- goodbye  
  
-sama- Lord, a term of high respect to someone whose status is above your  
own  
  
-dono- Miss, for an unmarried, single woman 


	6. UhChapter 6, no title yet

Ehh last chapter was too serious. I don't think this chapter fits in with the rest of the story, but I'm trying my best! ^-^  
  
Oh my oh my oh my!! ^______________________^ I've got some story-lining for youuuu! I'm very, very excited to write this fic, and I'm going to have to shoot myself to keep from stopping my other fics just to write this one. ^_^  
  
Dedication: To everyone on the Kenshin(dot)it forums! Thank you so much for helping me out! ^_^  
  
Can anyone say "NEW CHARACTERS?"  
  
Okay, can you say "Lot's of new characters"?  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Three young women made their way through the woods slowly, so as to not disturb the grass, and to avoid being seen. They looked to be of approximately the same age and height, and of nearly the same build.  
  
The sun was long gone, haven sunk hours previously. The seemingly oldest girl poked her head out of the shrubbery and gave a thumbs up.  
  
"All clear," she whispered, climbing to her feet steadily.  
  
"Do we have to go?" another girl asked quietly. "It's dark......."  
  
"Dark smark......." the youngest one muttered. "Kazaru, you need to calm down....... it's not that scary!"  
  
"Shut up Áme, it is to scary. Right Amber?"  
  
The oldest girl looked back down. "Whatever you say Kazaru. Whatever you say....... But it IS clear after three hours, so I think we should probably go now, otherwise we'll get caught."  
  
"Yeah Kazaru, do you want to get caught?" Áme stood up, and hauled the other young woman to her feet.  
  
"If you weren't my sister," Kazaru muttered. "You'd be dead by now."  
  
"Just be glad you have a sister," Amber whispered. "Now hurry up!"  
  
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying......."  
  
The moonlight lit up the ground, and highlighted the two blond sisters. In Japan, it was fairly uncommon to see anyone with blond hair, but after their mother had married their father, the two sisters moved with him to Japan- the same place their father was born. They both had blond hair and blue-green eyes, though Áme had more blue in her eyes and Kazaru had more green.  
  
Amber's brown eyes narrowed. "Shh!" she hushed. "We've got to stay quiet......." Her brown hair swung around her face as she turned around again.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"What is it?" Soujirou asked, folding his hands in front of him. "If something the matter Aoshi-san?"  
  
Aoshi nodded slowly. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. Come with me."  
  
"Hai."  
  
Soujirou followed Aoshi around the back of the building and into his room/office. "It concerns the young lady."  
  
"I saw that you brought her back with you......." Soujirou muttered thoughtfully. "Will she be okay?"  
  
"I don't know. I put Megumi, Okon, and Omasu in charge of helping her."  
  
"Oh......."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"What? I mean, what do you mean?" Soujirou asked confusedly.  
  
Aoshi simply looked at him calmly.  
  
"I.......I mean, I overheard Houji and Yumi talking about it from my room. I thought that perhaps they were up to no good......."  
  
"Is that all?" Aoshi asked, detecting the slight look of discomfort in Soujirou's eyes. He could also tell that the younger man was terribly uncertain about something.  
  
"Aa......."  
  
"Very well." Aoshi wasn't one to pry into other people's businesses. It was not only rude, but none of his business. Eventually he would find out, and if today wasn't the day, so be it. Tomorrow maybe.  
  
"Is that all you needed Aoshi-san?"  
  
"No.......I need for you to contact "The Storm". You do remember the location, am I correct?"  
  
"Yes, I do. Should I call for just "The Storm" or for his warrior's as well?"  
  
"Just The Storm. It's been a long while since we've spoken."  
  
"I wonder how Lumina Eternal is doing......." Soujirou pondered. "I still say that The Storm related to Kenshin somehow."  
  
"Kenshin says he doesn't have a family," Sanosuke intervened, opening the shoji. "I'm sorry for listening in, but I was walking around outside and heard you mention ol' Timothy. How's he doing?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"He's coming to.......why is he coming Aoshi-san?"  
  
".......We need his assistance in the matter."  
  
"Oh.......alright," Soujirou answered calmly.  
  
"What?" Sano wondered aloud. " What matter? Did someone die or something? I hope it wasn't Megumi, I was starting to like her too......." he frowned.  
  
"Nobody died Sano," Soujirou corrected. "Something's happened, and we need help."  
  
"Why didn't you ask me? I'm the master of advice-giving."  
  
"I don't think you could help much on this Sagara," Aoshi told him. "And refrain from going to Megumi's unless it's an emergency."  
  
"Why's that? Is someone sick?"  
  
Soujirou rolled his eyes. "That homeless girl's in there......."  
  
"She's in terrible condition Sanosuke, so don't go there." Aoshi stood up and motioned everyone out of his office. Once out in the front yard, he spoke to Soujirou. "I'll put Kilika in charge of the dogs, you get on Windspeed and head for Lumina Eternal as quickly as possible. When you get there, tell him that it's urgent for him to get here. Stay in Lumina for a few days and rest up, and then head right back."  
  
"Yes Okashira," Soujirou answered, already heading to the stables. "I'll be back within the week."  
  
Aoshi nodded. "Fine."  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
A lone swordsman walked through the dark woods. He wondered briefly why he had been asked to the Aoiya. Something bad was probably going to happen. He hated being a pessimist, but the way things had been lately, he didn't doubt it if all of Japan suddenly exploded.  
  
He already missed his home. Lumina was quiet and cheerful, well, quiet wasn't really the word. Peaceful, and cheerful, but loud as well. He almost missed Akane's silly stunts and antics, and Skye's annoying habit of hanging off of him. Lumina was where his family was. Unofficial family, because his only relative was Skye. He'd left the young 16-year-old back at Lumina Eternal for safety reasons, though, she was probably following him.  
  
He let his hand rest on the hilt of his sword unconsciously, for it was a habit he had grown used to. There was probably danger nearby, considering his location. He longed to go back and walk the seven or so miles home, but knew better than to do something so foolish.  
  
The Oniwabanshuu needed him, and they might need the assistance of the Kaminari-kami of Lumina. The warriors that he had left back home were probably singing and dancing by now. No leader, no rules....... He sighed, and watched the forest where he walked.  
  
Thankfully, Lumina was sealed off from all of Japan, so that nobody could find it unless ordered to, or by accident. For some strange reason, he felt that everyone in Lumina loved to annoy him.  
  
Nahhh......they wouldn't do that.......right?  
  
After a few minutes of silence, he heard a scuffling in the near distance. Quickening his pace, he came to a clearing where a single girl fought with a man nearly twice her size.  
  
"Tell me where it is!" the man yelled, pressing a sword against her throat. "Tell me where Lumina Eternal is!"  
  
"I don't know," she answered firmly, though her wide eyes betrayed her steady voice. Sweat trickled down her forehead and her brown hair clung to her neck.  
  
"Liar! You do too know! You've been sworn to secrecy, that's all!"  
  
"I really don't know what you're talking about."  
  
The man scowled.  
  
"I'll tell you," the young swordsman said, unsheathing his two katana's from his side. "It is a place untouchable to vermin such as yourself. Who do you think you are, roughing up a young woman just to find a city that you can never enter."  
  
"What?" the man asked, whirling around to face the swordsman. "You're no match for me! I'm Raijuta! Untouchable to a weakling like you."  
  
"Don't you wish......." he muttered, taking a stance. "Now, let's see.......if I win, I suppose you'll be dead, and if you win, I'll tell you where Lumina Eternal is. How's that?"  
  
"Fine with me!" Raijuta yelled, letting the young woman go and drawing his sword.  
  
The young woman fell to the ground and cursed herself inwardly. How could she have been so careless to let such a large man sneak up on her? She stood and walked backward a few steps, whirling around after a few seconds and running off. She had to find the other two, to tell them what had happened. This forest wasn't safe.  
  
She had to warn-  
  
*thud*  
  
"Hey watch where you're-! Oh, what're you running from Amber?"  
  
"Quick Kazaru! Áme! There's a fight going on back there. We might wanna clear out......."  
  
"How'd it start?!" Kazaru asked excitedly. "This oughta be fun! Let's go watch-"  
  
"Yeah!" Áme cheered, pulling out two ninja stars. And if he needs help, we can help out!"  
  
"Well, I was starting to set up camp, and this guy just attacks me, demanding to know where this place called Lumina is. I didn't know, so he tried to tell me I DID know. Then this swordsman stepped out and offered to fight the guy."  
  
"Ohhh!" Áme swooned. "Now you have a hero! We'd better hurry!"  
  
"Yeah," Kazaru agreed. "We probably missed half of it!"  
  
"Shouldn't we just.......well.......find a safer forest to sleep in?"  
  
"Noooo!" Áme grinned, dragging Amber along. "You still have to thank your hero, you dork. C'mon!"  
  
"Wha?"  
  
All three girls came back just in time to see the strange young man cut Raijuta down. The heavier man fell to the ground with a 'thump' and Kazaru pouted.  
  
"Man, I missed it all......."  
  
"Is that a bad thing?" Amber asked puzzled. "I'm glad I missed it."  
  
"You would be......."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!"  
  
"Nothing!" Áme whistled.  
  
The swordsman wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, wiping some blood from his cheek.  
  
"Fine!" Áme chirped. "Though I think Amber's taken by you.......she looks like she's in shock."  
  
"Maybe she likes himmmm!" Kazaru smirked. "Is that true Amber? Do you?" she shook the older girl. "She's probably ignoring me on purpose......."  
  
"I would too, if I were her," the swordsman said.  
  
"Huh?" Kazaru whirled around and glared at the taller person.  
  
"Hikúi......." he muttered.  
  
"Nani?!" Kazaru yanked out a poniard and pointed it at him. "Don't be so rude!"  
  
"Oh yes......." he touched his chin. "I haven't introduced myself......." He turned and bowed. "The Swordsman of the Dawn.......but some people call me The Storm, and my friends call me Timothy Himura."  
  
"Hello Tim!" Áme grinned. "I'm Áme Zenmai, pleased to make your acquaintance."  
  
"Likewise."  
  
"Well Swordsman, I'm Kazaru Zenmai."  
  
"Not pleased to meet me?" he asked, sounding falsely hurt. "Oh well. Who's she?"  
  
Áme kicked Amber in the shin still smiling her 'matchmaker' smile.  
  
"Huh? Oh, I'm Amber......."  
  
"No last name to that?" he asked teasingly.  
  
"Oh.......Sanpo......."  
  
"May I call you Amber?"  
  
"Uhm.......hai......." Amber looked away and blushed.  
  
"And you can call me Tim. Except for you Hikúi, you're not my friend......." he sighed and turned away. "So you can't call me by my name."  
  
"I'm NOT short!"  
  
He put his hand down and waved it around in the air. "Where is she?!"  
  
"That's not funny!"  
  
"I think it is......."  
  
Kazaru turned around to glare at her sister. "Is not. You're just bragging because you're younger and taller. Be quiet!"  
  
"Shooorrrrtttt!" Tim sang, dancing away. "Ah well.......hey, you've got weapons......." he mused. "Are you fighters?"  
  
"Only the best!" Áme bragged. "Well, maybe not, but we try."  
  
"We're trying to get revenge for our village being burned......." Amber added in. "But we're not strong enough yet."  
  
"Yep......." Áme agreed. "But that doesn't matter. We'll train until we can whup him!"  
  
"Whup who?"  
  
"Shishio. He burned our village to the ground because we didn't want him to take over," Kazaru added, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. She clasped her hand in a fist and scowled. "But we'll beat him one day soon. I swear it."  
  
"Me too," Amber nodded. "He destroyed everything we had, so we'll blast him." She smiled confidently.  
  
"Well......we'd better be going then, I suppose......." Áme sighed.  
  
"But it's the middle of the night," Tim protested.  
  
"So?" Kazaru asked. "I mean, it's near dawn......."  
  
"I suppose so. Look, you three look like capable fighters. Do you work as a team?"  
  
"Sometimes," Amber answered confusedly. "Why?"  
  
"Well, as the King of Lumina Eternal, it IS my job to further better my kingdom."  
  
"How can there be a kingdom in the middle of Japan?" Áme asked dubiously. "Won't the government abolish you or something? Maybe a death sentence.......?"  
  
"Eh, heh, heh......." Tim rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well......." he started to explain. "I never said it was legal.......but anyway, Lumina Eternal is sort of a gathering of fighters. We've got quite a few back home."  
  
"Okay....... So uhm, what does this have to do with us?" Kazaru wondered aloud. "So, are you trying to recruit us or something to 'further better the kingdom of Lumina' which is probably illegal or something. Not that it matters."  
  
"Actually," Tim told her. "We're just a group of fighters who, well, fight. Just like any good ol' ninja clan, only we're not all ninja's."  
  
"Are there any ninja's?!" Áme asked excitedly. "I mean, any real ones?!"  
  
"I don't know," he shrugged. "I suppose you'd have to go find out, now won't you?"  
  
"What!?" Amber wrung her hands nervously. "What if you're just trying to trick us or something?"  
  
"Do I look evil to you?" he asked innocently, making his bluish eyes as wide as he could.  
  
"Actually......." Kazaru started.  
  
"Never mind. I'm just offering you a place to stay for awhile."  
  
"What do you mean?" Áme asked him.  
  
"You can stay as long as you fight," he answered simply. "But we don't fight often. I'm sure the gang would love to have you."  
  
"But how do we get there?" Amber asked questioningly. "I mean, will you be taking us?"  
  
"Nope," he answered. "Anzen will take you there."  
  
"Anzen?" Kazaru asked him. "Who's that?"  
  
Tim snapped his fingers and a large Doberman came bounding from the woods. "This," he smirked. "Is Anzen. Here." He handed Amber a lead and clipped it onto the dog. "Anzen, go home," he ordered. "Just follow him. When you get to the gates, you should see a young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. Her name's Akane. Tell her Timothy sent you, alright? She'll let you in, but watch out for her teasing......." He rolled him eyes. "I'll show up again in about a week. I've got business to do with the Oniwabanshuu."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Never mind, just a friendly neighborhood ninja clan......." He waved over his shoulders. "See you later, Amber, Áme, Hikúi......."  
  
"Arrrghhhh! I'm NOT SHORRTTTT!" Kazaru yelled over her shoulders. "Come on guys, let's just get going. The dark is creeepppyyy!"  
  
Áme rolled her eyes and Amber giggled. "Here we go again......."  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
A young woman rode a palomino gelding through the woods at a brisk walk. "I can't believe he left me behind," she grumbled, adjusting the bow so she could hold the reins. "My own onii-chan......."  
  
Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, blond tips looking strangely bright in the moonlight. "It's just like him to leave in the middle of the night, not telling anyone......." Her green blouse and dark- colored pants would normally have helped her hide from view in the dark, except for the fact she had a white-and-tan horse.......  
  
"Good boy Sunny," she smiled, patting her horse on the neck. "Up Phantom, up," she ordered, and a small blue-eyed wolf jumped onto Sunny's back; the horse didn't do so much as flinch.  
  
"We'll find him, won't we girl?" she asked her wolf. "We'll make it there and demand to know why he left us all alone back there. Though, I suppose I could have been home annoying people.......but I'd rather fight for once!"  
  
Phantom licked her cheek in agreement, and the girl moved the bow to hang off the saddle horn.  
  
"Nobody leaves Skye behind and gets away with it!" she declared, rubbing Phantom's ears. "I'll make him pay for leaving me behind with the others, I swear it!"  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
A young man made his way through a woods not so far away, a 6 foot steel staff in one hand, slung over his shoulder, and in the other hand was a Bible, opened to Psalms.  
  
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations."  
  
"Very inspirational," he nodded, shutting the small book and tucking it into his shirt. "But that is all for today." He pushed the steel staff farther up on his shoulders, and stretched his back. "I need to find a new place to train," he mused. "I wonder if there is anyone else around that I might be able to train with......."  
  
In the middle of the wilderness, that hardly seemed likely. But then again, there was that one man who thought he would be able to steal his possessions. But he was out cold somewhere.......  
  
Hm....... His gaze drifted upward, through the trees overhead and into the deep blue sky where the stars peeked through the clouds twinkling brightly in the dark.  
  
He looked at the sky and up to God in the Heavens.  
  
"Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
Thank you for staying with me through everything, and for being there when I need your comfort the most. You watch over me, and you watch over my Sarah as well. Give us both the strength we need to overcome our obstacles....... And help me as you will, to find little Tabitha.  
  
I have been searching for two years Lord, and by now she would be three years old. I miss her terribly, and I'm sure Sarah feels the same. Help me to find her so that the three of us can be a family again....... And so that she will be able to grow up in a Christian home with loving parents.......  
  
Protect her for me Lord, for I cannot do it myself. Keep her from harm, and direct me to her as you will. I know you have led me thus far, here to Japan, and I know that my father is here somewhere in this land, trying to keep her away from me. Help me to find her, and give me the strength I need to continue my journey.  
  
In Jesus' name, Amen."  
  
His head lowered downward, and his white hair fell over his eyes. Only 23 with white hair.......  
  
'Sarah.......' he promised. 'Sarah, I promise I'll find her and the both of us will be home soon.......'  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Weee! New characters.......blah.  
  
Here we introduce.......  
  
Timothy....... Amber....... Kazaru....... Áme....... Skye....... and the mysterious Bible-carrying man!  
  
I think that's all.......  
  
Anyway, Timothy is my friend Tim, Amber is his girlfriend in real life, Kazaru is myself.......(eh, I'm so cheap, putting myself in), Áme is my younger sister.......Skye is my good Internet buddy, and so is the Bible- carrying man, but I won't tell you who he is!  
  
I hope this chapter was a little lighter than the rest! ^-^ And I hope you enjoyed it! The rest of the Kaminari-kami will come in NEEXXTTTT chapter!  
  
So.......here's my b-day present to you all, since you won't be at my house to help me eat the cake (and God knows I'll need help.......^^;; My mom always piles too much food on my plate, and then I'll have to choke down the cake, no matter how good it is.......)! This chapter! Yayyy! I hope you enjoyed it!  
  
And a big thank-you to everyone on Kenshin(dot)it!  
  
*hugs and kisses* (only if you review! Lol! J/K)  
  
~~Okashira Misao (Amanda) Orrr......as in this fic, Kazaru. ORRR Kitten Kisses, if you're reading this from fanfiction.net.......^^  
  
PS. Sorry if I got any of your personality traits wrong Tim, Amber, (myself? Lol), "Áme", Skye, and the Bible-carrier. ^_^  
  
Heehee.  
  
And to those who don't know yet....... I FINALLY FINISHED "I'll Always Love You" ^_____________________^ *sighs with relief* So it's finally done at 36 chapters and 219 pages.......(without author notes)! 


	7. explanations

Explanations  
  
Alright, I understand that the newest development in this story might confuse you....... well, those of you from fanfiction.net anyway. ^^ Anyway, here's what's going on.......  
  
I'm a member of the forums on Kenshin.it, and I have many friends there. ^_^ One of my friends, Timothy, asked if he could be in the fic, because he's Christian, and this is a Christian fic. ^_^ Well, then I came up with an idea. ^___^  
  
I could get several friends from Kenshin.it to be in this story, and make them an allied ninja/mixed group clan. The Kaminari-kami is the name of their group.  
  
Timothy Himura is their leader. His other fighters include his younger sister Skye, Sakura Katana, Jo Bishoujo, Akane Iwata, Neal Rabideau, and Katiehata Yokan.  
  
And of course Kazaru, Áme, and Amber will join soon, but obviously they haven't just yet......^-^  
  
Now, that Kaminari-kami is allied to the Oniwabanshuu....... Timothy "The Storm" Himura, aka the Swordsman of the Dawn, is heading to the Oniwabanshuu to speak with Aoshi-sama. ^-^ What does Aoshi-sama want to know? You'll find out later. ^^ So Soujirou is staying at the Kaminari- kami's headquarters.  
  
The Oniwabanshuu have the Aoiya, the Kaminari-kami have LUMINA ETERNAL. ^.^ Timothy likes to believe it's a 'kingdom' and that he's the 'king' of this kingdom. What it is, is nearly exactly what the Aoiya is. ^.^  
  
There's a surprise member of the Kaminari-kami. Well, two actually.......but I'm not saying who. ^.^ Lol, they're the REAL humor. ^-^ Everybody has a history. ^-^ Áme, Amber, and Kazaru's history is that their village burned down, etc. ^-^  
  
The other new people's history's will come into play soon. ^.^ (well, not that soon.......)  
  
A little information for you all.......  
  
Skye Himura Tim's younger sister. Age-16 Hangs around Tim, and everyone Gender- female Birthday- September 10th Race- Japanese Weapons- Several knifes in boots, bow and arrow, shortsword Style- Tokui-na Óokami Ryuu (Proud Wolf) Instrument- Viola  
  
Timothy "The Storm" Himura aka Swordsman of the Dawn Hangs around Amber and Skye, but tries to avoid those who annoy him. Statistics- Okashira of the Kaminari-kami of Lumina Eternal Gender- Male Birthday- none specified Race- Japanese, Kenshin's cousin Weapons- Twin katana's "Thunder" and "Lightening" Style- Hiten-Moonlight Mitsurugi Ryuu Instrument- none specified Height- 5'10'' Weight- 148 lbs  
  
Sakura Katana age- 15 Hangs around Áme, Akane, and Jo-chan Gender- female Birthday- ? Weapons- Bokken, Itsu-Demo Midori Ryuu (Ever green) Race- German/Japanese Instrument- none specified  
  
Jo-chan Bishoujo age- 16 Hangs around with Akane and Skye to annoy Timothy Gender- female Birthday- August 23 Race- Japanese/English, height 5 foot Weapons- Badminton racket, ice elemental, kunai Style- none Instrument- Guitar and voice  
  
Matthew Bonupart the Peacemaker age- 23 Hangs around Tim, likes to spar, but keeps to himself a lot Gender-male birthday- none specified Weapon- a 6ft long steel staff Race- English Height: 5'10  
  
Weight: 135 pounds. (slim, but very tone... like Bruce Lee)  
  
Akane Iwata age-19 Hangs out with Jo-chan and loves annoying Timothy Gender-female Birthday- September 22 Race- Japanese Weapons- body, fists, Instruments- voice Height-5'6'' Style- Sáigo-no Náni-ka Ryuu (Ultimate Anything) Element- Earth  
  
Kazaru Zenmai age -17 Hangs out with Neal, Skye, Amber, and Tim Gender- female Birthday- July 26 Race- Japanese/English/German (mom is ½ German, ½ English, dad is Japanese/English.) Weapons- kunai, a katana, kicking, a poniard Instruments- Clarinet Height- 5'1'' Weight- 110 lbs  
  
Áme Zenmai age-16 Hangs out with Sakura, Jo-chan, and Akane Gender- female Birthday- February 14 Race- Japanese/English/German Weapons- Ninja stars, numchucks, a kukri Instruments- Piano and voice Height- 5'2'' Weight- 120 lbs  
  
Neal Rabideau age- 17 Hangs out with Kazaru, Amber, and Tim Gender- male, birthday- September 13 Race- Japanese/other Weapons- kunai, a katana, martial arts Instrument- Trumpet Height- 6'1''/ 6'2'' Weight-?  
  
Amber Sanpo age-18 Hangs out with Tim, Kazaru, and random people Gender- female, birthday- January 6 Race- Japanese Weapons- medium-length Japanese sword, kunai Instrument- Violin, voice Height- 5'2'' Weight- 123 lbs  
  
Katiehata Yokan age- 22 Hangs around....... a lot of people.......Akane Gender-female birthday- ? Race- Japanese Weapons- a shortsword, kunai, and a dagger Instrument-none Height- 5'4'' Weight-unknown  
  
There's most of the new characters and a little info about each one. ^-^ I hope that helped those who were confused.......(Dragowolf) ^^;;;; I didn't mean to confuse everyone.......but I did need something else for the plot! XD, well, I'm off to write the next chapter! ^.^ 


	8. Chapter 7

XD! Hello everyone.......^^;; I confused a lot of people on ff.net, so.......yeah....... I had to write an explanation for them....... I apologize to those of you of fanfiction.net for being so confusing.......XD sorry.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Oh yes.......Hikúi means "short" as in stature.......  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.......and uh.......I sure don't own the song on page 268 of the Hymnal of the Church of God.......I just have the Hymnal (er, two of them actually) in my drawers.......  
  
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He walked through the snow-covered road, breathing in the stifling darkness with every step. His body was cold, and his teeth chattered, but there was a smile on his pale face.  
  
I've found a friend....... Who is all to me.......  
  
An oversized hat covered his head, courtesy of the nice man named Anji. The snow reached up over his knees, and he pushed through the best he could, given his size. And his smile stayed firmly etched in his features, replacing the solemn look he had previously carried.  
  
His love is ever true....... I love to tell.......  
  
He reached into his gi and pulled forth the snow-globe that he had carried for so long. He smiled widely at the couple inside, and pulled the glass globe up to his eye level to watch the snow falling on their happy faces.  
  
How he lifted me....... And what his grace can do for you.......  
  
"You know Jesus," he whispered to them lightly. "You must, cause you're so happy. I'm happy too. But cold.......I wish the snow would stop......." He sighed and remembered Anji's words. Another smile slapped itself over his face.  
  
Saved....... By his power divine  
  
His free hand pressed against his heart. "God's in here," he told his snow- globe friends. "And he'll warm my heart and soul. Anji said so......." He watched as the snow ceased to fall inside the glass globe, and his smile grew. "Look!" he pointed. "God stopped the snow cause you believed he would."  
  
Saved....... To new life sublime  
  
He tucked the globe back into his loose robes and made his way down the street slowly. Turning into an alleyway, he saw a crate sitting high above the snowy ground. "Maybe I can sit there," he mused aloud, setting his small hands on the top of the crate and heaving his weight up.  
  
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete For I'm saved, saved, saved  
  
His grasp slipped, and he fell into the powdery snow, which, to him, wasn't powdery. It felt like landing on a block of ice. He picked himself up again, smiling for all he was worth, and tried again.  
  
He saves me from....... Every sin and harm.......  
  
This time he was able to climb up onto the first crate, and he attempted to climb up on the second. After a few mess-ups, he was seated on the crate over-looking the alley. He crossed his legs and leaned against the alley wall behind him. It seemed warmer up in the air, where he could see everything around him.......  
  
Secures my soul each day....... I'm leaning strong.......  
  
He pulled the globe out again, and proceeded to show the people inside what the view looked like. "Lookie!" he pointed, and showed them the chimney above. "And there's the temple, and the houses and stuff......."  
  
"Hey kid! Who ya talkin to?!"  
  
"Ara?" he asked, his mouth a small 'o'. Soujirou looked down to see two young teenagers standing beside his crate with grins on their faces.  
  
"Talkin' to nothin'!" one of the teenagers laughed. "He's talkin' to a piece of glass!"  
  
"Nani?" he asked, confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"He speaks funny!" the taller boy smirked. "Where ya from kid?"  
  
Soujirou cocked his head and shrugged. "Nowhere......."  
  
On his mighty arm....... I know he'll guide me all the way.......  
  
"Ya mean you're from the prostitution house!" the shorter one smirked, nudging his companion. "You know what we do to bastard's like you?"  
  
"Uhm......." Soujirou gulped, and scooted back on the crate. Were they going to hurt him? All he was doing was sitting on a crate.......  
  
Saved....... By His power divine  
  
The two boys rammed into the crates at the same time, knocking the empty boxes out from under him. "Itai!" Soujirou shouted, landing in the snow again. He slapped a smile on again.  
  
Anji had said that God protected.......Hm....... And if he didn't, then he would go to Heaven, wouldn't he? So he continued to smile at the baffled teenagers.  
  
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete For I'm saved, saved, saved  
  
"Stop smilin' freak!" the shorter one yelled, looming over him. "What are you, some kind of weirdo?!"  
  
Soujirou just kept smiling. "God loves me," he told them softly.  
  
A kick to his face shut him up. "There's no such thing as a 'god'!" the tall boy hissed. "If there is, then why are you a bastard! Huh?! Tell me that!"  
  
Soujirou's smile spread wider, as if he knew something they didn't. "There is," he insisted. "He's up there......." his small hand pointed to the sky. "Up there in Heaven protecting me. But he doesn't want me up there yet. When he does, he'll come for me."  
  
When poor and needy....... And all alone.......  
  
Soujirou didn't move from where he sat, even when the fist of the shorter boy connected with his face. He wrapped his arms around himself, protecting his friends in the snow-globe, and smiled.  
  
"You're poor! You don't have friends! You'll die before you're twenty! You'll never be married! There IS NO GOD!"  
  
Soujirou shrugged. "But there is."  
  
He didn't even see the barrage of punches and kicks until they connected.......and even then, he didn't see them. He just felt the sting of accompanying pain.  
  
In love He said to me....... "Come unto Me.......  
  
Soujirou looked up at them from his position on the ground against the wall and smiled widely, tears of pain glistening in his wide blue eyes.  
  
"Why the hell are you still smiling kikei?!" The taller boy kicked him, and he didn't even attempt to move out of the way before the other's foot hit his face. Blood spurted from his nose, and he still smiled. "If now is my time to be in Heaven," he told them. "Then I am happy."  
  
And I'll lead you home....... To live with me eternally.......  
  
"What?!" they both yelled at the same time. "This kid is psycho! He WANTS to die!"  
  
They cracked their knuckles a few inches away from his face, but his gaze didn't even flicker, nor did his smile falter.  
  
"We'd be happy to fulfill your request kid," the short one smirked.  
  
"Yep, it might prove to be entertaining. Then we can have dinner!"  
  
"Oh yum.......little boy soup......."  
  
"Sounds good, ne?"  
  
"Definitely. But we might just turn him into a wall decoration or something......."  
  
Saved....... By His power divine.......  
  
"Hm.......definitely a wall decoration," the other agreed. They looked to Soujirou to see what his reaction would be. He looked the same as he had before.  
  
"God would love you too," Soujirou told them in a whisper. "But you're not nice....... God only likes nice people for His friends......."  
  
Saved...... To new life sublime  
  
"I.......don't.......care......." the first one growled. "There is no God, so just shut the hell up."  
  
Soujirou's mouth snapped shut and he bowed his head, tears in his eyes, but a smile still playing lightly on his features.  
  
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete For I'm saved, saved, saved.......  
  
"Stop it!" a woman yelled, dashing into the alley from a back doorway. "What did I tell you boys?!" she screeched loudly. "Stay away from my house or I'll send my husband after you!"  
  
"What husband?" one boy laughed, and skipped lightly away.  
  
"Yeah onna, you don't HAVE a husband! Unless you count that foolish man as yours!"  
  
The two boys skipped off merrily, laughing loudly, and Soujirou closed his eyes in relief.  
  
"Aren't you with them?" she asked softly, kneeling down next to him, and pushing his bangs away from his face. "Oh.......of course you're not......." she murmured when his blue eyes opened slowly. "You're too innocent looking. Come along, I'll see what I can do for you, how's that?"  
  
Soujirou nodded slightly. "There is a God, ne?" he asked softly, a small smile on his face.  
  
"Of course son......." she laughed.  
  
"I knew it......." he sighed. "Lady, they were telling me there wasn't......."  
  
"Look son," she told him firmly, opening the shoji to her home. "If you believe in God, believe in him fully, no matter what everyone else says. They don't know anything son. They don't have a home either."  
  
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Soujirou looked down at his hands. He never had minded coming to Lumina.......it was a nice place, and the people got along so well.......  
  
A smile etched its way onto his face, his features softening. He would leave in two day's time, but not before. He wanted Timothy to reach the Aoiya ahead of time. It would take the older boy longer to reach the Aoiya than himself. He knew the shortest- and fastest- routes.  
  
The room he occupied was small but comfortable, one of the many empty buildings in the whole place.  
  
He estimated Lumina Eternal to have approximately 20 buildings, most of them being sleeping quarters, but some of them being the kitchen, training hall, and stables. Lumina was bigger than the Aoiya, but housed less people. There were currently only eleven members, but they were always prepared for more.  
  
Which was a very good thing.  
  
"Jooooooooooooooo! I know it was you!" a female voice yelled loudly over the quiet morning silence.  
  
"What?!" another female answered, defending herself. "I didn't do anything!"  
  
"Then explain this!"  
  
Soujirou shook his head and slid open the shoji to see what was going on.  
  
Two girls, Jo and Sakura, were glaring at each other equally.  
  
"I know you did it Jo-CHAN!" Sakura argued, her light brown hair blowing swiftly in the morning breeze. Her blue and white hakama and gi rustled with the wind also, the fabric moving around distractingly.  
  
"I didn't! I swear it!" Jo objected. "You know me, I don't use buckets!"  
  
"Oh yeah.......that's right. Then who did it?" Sakura wondered, holding the bucket at arm's length. "Skye!" she yelped suddenly. "Boy is she going to get it!"  
  
"How so?" Jo asked excitedly.  
  
"Well, she stuck this bucket over the kitchen door, and when Akane walked in to get something to eat, it landed all over her! Water was everywhere, seriously!"  
  
"Wow, I'll bet she's steaming!"  
  
"That's an understatement......."  
  
"Konnichi wa girls," Soujirou greeted, watching them jump at the unexpected intrusion.  
  
"Soujirou!" the both squeaked. "When did you get here?!"  
  
"After midnight," he answered calmly. "Is there any way I could get breakfast?"  
  
"Yeah," Jo pointed to the kitchen. "Though I'd watch out for Akane.......she's pretty mad right now."  
  
"Oh yeah!" Sakura interjected. "We've got to find Skye!"  
  
"Don't bother," Soujirou waved over his shoulder on the way to the kitchen. "She went after Timothy again......."  
  
"Again?" Jo asked dubiously. "That's.......what? The 5th time?"  
  
"Something like that," Sakura answered. "I try not to count......."  
  
Soujirou shook his head and stepped into the kitchen silently. The first thing he saw was a soggy wet Akane, her purple martial arts uniform drenched, and her soggy deep brown hair hanging into her eyes.  
  
"Good morning Akane-san," Soujirou smiled happily. "It's a lovely day outside!"  
  
"Says you......." she grumbled. "But it is nice to have you here Soujirou- san. Though, I rather wish that bucket had hit you not me."  
  
Soujirou sweatdropped. "Uh.......yeah......." he stuttered. "If you say so......."  
  
"If you want breakfast, you'll have to make your own....... I can't cook worth anything......."  
  
"I know," a woman grinned from the East door. "How about I cook?"  
  
"Sure......." Akane agreed. "But my food isn't THAT bad, you know......."  
  
The woman snickered. "Yeah, whatever. Good morning Soujirou-san. Timothy's gone, I'm assuming."  
  
"And Skye too Katiehata-san," he informed her.  
  
"Please, just Katie. It's so much easier to say......."  
  
"Okay Katie-san. Timothy has gone to speak about some.......things with Aoshi."  
  
"Oh, well it sure is nice to have another male around here," Akane grinned. "With Tim here, there's only four. Now there's three.......well.......two if you don't count.......HIM......."  
  
"I wouldn't," Soujirou laughed. "No way."  
  
"We agree......."  
  
A squeal came from somewhere outside. "Weee! Megumi! Giddy-up!"  
  
Everyone sweatdropped.  
  
".......He's still calling that rocking horse Megumi......." a male voice muttered quietly, stepping into the kitchen.  
  
"In his dreams!" Akane huffed. "Why's he still here, anyway?"  
  
He shrugged. "Because he won't leave......."  
  
"Yeah," Akane remembered. "We kicked him out, and he came back over and over....... He's just so ugly that we can't kill him. He's too weak, and you know our morals....... we can't kill people that can't defend themselves......."  
  
"Tell me about it......." another man said in a defeated voice. "I tried to escape him, and I accidentally came here, and guess what? He was here too.......now he won't go away....... At least he doesn't ask YOU to tell him bedtime stories!"  
  
"Sorry Kanyou," Akane apologized. "He's annoying, and stupid......."  
  
"Don't forget ugly," Kanyou interjected.  
  
"Is there anything to eat.......?" the other young man asked quietly.  
  
"In a minute Neal!" Katie promised, stirring something on the stove. "Why don't you find Jo and Sakura.......tell them it's nearly time to eat!"  
  
".......Okay......." Neal answered quietly, exiting the kitchen silently. Soujirou looked after him momentarily and turned to the girls and Kanyou, the former leader of the Jinpuu squad.......  
  
"So Kanyou, how's life been?"  
  
"It sucks," came the instant reply. "Try having him follow YOU around! Pesky freak....... And he's still calling that rocking horse of his "Megumi".......seriously, what a freak......."  
  
"Is it time for dinner yet??" a squeaky annoying voice asked from the floor.  
  
"No Kanryuu, it isn't."  
  
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(BWAHAHA KANRYUU!)  
  
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Áme looked up at the tall gate in the middle of nowhere, and then down to the Doberman beside her. "Hm......." she mused.  
  
"Hey genius, why don't you try knocking?" Kazaru suggested. "It might help......."  
  
"Shut up," her sister muttered, trying to pry open the door with her fingers.  
  
"Yeah Áme, knocking might work better," Amber suggested.  
  
"Fine, fine, but I don't see why I have to do anything."  
  
"I'm walking the dog," Amber protested.  
  
"And I'm.......uh.......cleaning off this stick!" Kazaru smiled brightly, grabbing a stick off of the ground.  
  
The other two girls sweatdropped. "Uhm.......yeah......."  
  
Kazaru dropped the stick and laughed nervously. "Fine, I'll knock......." she muttered, rapping her knuckles against the door.  
  
"You've got do knock harder than that!" Amber protested.  
  
"Whatever," Kazaru rolled her eyes and slammed her fist on the door once, twice, thrice.......  
  
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"Looks like you have to get up Akane!" Katie smirked.  
  
"Yeah, yeah.......I wonder who's at the door at this hour?"  
  
"Skye?" Jo suggested. "Maybe she couldn't brave the woods and came back......."  
  
"No," Kanyou told her. "It's not her. She'll track him down and bawl him out later."  
  
"Oh yeah......." Sakura thought. "Oh! I hope it's some new guys!"  
  
"Yeah!" Akane brightened up. "I'll be right back!" she grinned, running out the door. Two seconds later, she was back. "Don't steal my food!" she ordered before taking off again.  
  
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.......  
  
That knocking was sure getting on her nerves.......it was grating on them, grinding them so thin that she could probably have snapped if she touched them. "I'M COMINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!" she yelled, yanking at the sixteen latches on the gate.  
  
The knocking stopped. "Now who's-?" Akane stopped. "Girls?!" she asked surprised, and a little disappointed.  
  
"Yeah, don't we all want to be them?" Kazaru frowned.  
  
"Yes!" Áme chirped. "Tim said to tell Akane that 'Timothy sent us'.......okay?"  
  
"Well, Akane hears......." she smiled. "Welcome to Lumina Eternal Twilight......."  
  
She swung the door open and Anzen bounded away, nearly taking Amber with him, but she snapped the lead off before he could. "He's happy to be home," she mused.  
  
"Yeah. Are you hungry?" Akane asked. "We're eating breakfast......."  
  
"Sure!" Áme smiled. "We'd love some. Wouldn't we Kazaru?"  
  
"Uhm.......yeah, sure......." Kazaru stated absently. "Yum."  
  
Amber nodded. "We haven't eaten for a while. We'd really appreciate it."  
  
"Good! Come on!" she led the three young women to the kitchen. "Here's the kitchen," she informed them. "When we go in, you will introduce yourselves and state your ages. The others will do likewise......."  
  
"Alright," Kazaru agreed. "Let's go, I'm starved."  
  
"Your idea of 'starved' is to eat one mouthful," Áme whispered loudly.  
  
"Hey!" Kazaru protested. "That's not true!"  
  
"It doesn't matter, let's just go in," Akane muttered loudly. She opened the doors and walked into the large dining area of the kitchen. "Everyone," she announced. "This is......." she turned and ushered the girls in.  
  
"Amber Sanpo, age 18," Amber announced, and bowed.  
  
"Kazaru Zenmai, age 17," Kazaru bowed lightly.  
  
"Áme Zenmai, age 16," Áme also bowed and smiled.  
  
"Girls?" Katie asked sadly. "Darn."  
  
"Well I'm sorry, but I can't make myself be a boy!" Kazaru seethed.  
  
"There's just not many men around here," a younger girl said lightly. "Ignore that kind of behavior. "I'm Sakura Katana, age 15, the youngest member of the Kaminari-kami."  
  
"Well met Sakura-san," Áme smiled.  
  
"Jo Bishoujo, age 16."  
  
Akane Iwata, age 19."  
  
Katiehata Yokan, age 22. But call me Katie please......."  
  
"Neal Rabideau.......age 17......."  
  
"Soujirou Seta, age 19, but I'm not from the Kaminari-kami, I'm a member of the Oniwabanshuu......."  
  
Kazaru's gaze went over to two other men sitting down side-by-side. One man had spectacles that hung on the end of his nose, and he was trying to feed the other man something green on a chopstick.  
  
"Here comes da' horsie!!" the spectacled man cooed, smashing the other guy in the face with the green food.  
  
"I don't mean to sound rude," Kazaru started. "But is he mental?"  
  
"Probably," the man with green stuff on his face stated silently, wiping the green from his cheek while the other guy laughed freakishly. "Kanyou Hanko.......age 32."  
  
"Are the two of you related?" Áme asked quickly.  
  
"Hell no."  
  
"Didn't think so," Amber muttered. "He's too......."  
  
"Ugly?" Akane suggested. "We know. He has a rocking horse that he named 'Megumi' after some woman that he thought was his 'pet'.......or something like that. He's insane, definitely."  
  
"Oh......."  
  
"His name's Kanryuu Takeda, but most people just call him 'Minikui"......."  
  
"It fits," Kazaru smirked.  
  
(NOTE: Minikui means "Ugly to the sight" as in, your eyesight.......*smirk*)  
  
"Who called my name?" Kanryuu asked, lifting his head. "Did someone call for me? I'm pretty......."  
  
Akane, Neal, Jo, Sakura, and Katie all choked on their food. Kazaru just watched on amused. Obviously, Kanyou was used to it, because he didn't even twitch a muscle at the words.  
  
"What did I tell you Kanryuu?" Kanyou asked.  
  
"Uhm.......don't say that!" Kanryuu said quickly, covering his face. "Please don't take my beautiful spectacles......."  
  
Kanyou held out his hand. "Give 'em Minikui......."  
  
Kanryuu pouted and put his spectacles in Kanyou's outstretched hand.  
  
"No fair......." he pouted deeply. "Kanryuu's spectacles are his friends......."  
  
"What?" Akane asked nobody in particular, sitting down at the table.  
  
"Each spectacle is a friend," Kanyou explained. "Their names are Jane and Joy."  
  
"Uh......." everyone sweatdropped.  
  
"Sit down girls," Akane offered. "Get something to eat, alright?"  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Timothy walked up to the gate of the Aoiya and knocked loudly. The door was opened by none other than Shura.  
  
"Konban wa Shura-san," Timothy greeted. "Is Aoshi here?"  
  
"Aoshi-san is upstairs in his room, as usual," she answered, shutting the door behind him. "Does this have anything to do with the girl he found?"  
  
"What girl?" Timothy asked confusedly.  
  
"Nothing Timothy-san," Shura answered, shaking her head. "You'll have to ask Aoshi-san himself."  
  
"Oh. See you around then." He made his way up the path to Aoshi's quarters. "I hope that ice block's thawed by now," he muttered to himself, passing a few Oniwabanshuu members along the way.  
  
He walked up to the shoji outside of Aoshi's room and knocked loudly.  
  
"Come in," the icicle answered shortly.  
  
"Konban wa Aoshi!" Timothy yelled, yanking the shoji nearly off its track.  
  
Aoshi looked up startled. "Good day Timothy, you're early," he stated quietly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm always early. Anyway, what did you want to speak with me about?"  
  
Aoshi put down his papers on his western-style desk and sat down in the chair. ".......Yumi and Houji. Do you know anything about them?"  
  
Timothy looked startled. "Anything?" he whistled. "I have so much dirt on them I could swim in it."  
  
Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What are their offenses?"  
  
"Well," Tim ticked them off on his fingers. "There's the keeping of slaves- men, women, and children. That's their biggest, but they move so much that nobody knows where they are at one time. They warn their slaves never to tell about what they've seen, what's happened.......etc. If they do tell, they threaten to kill everyone they know. And they've done it, believe you me."  
  
"Any more?"  
  
"Yep. Drug smuggling, murder, rape, stealing.......the list goes on of course, but those offenses aren't just theirs. Their whole organization helped add to the stack......." Tim shook his head. "But they're not at the top of the organization."  
  
"Do you know who is?" Aoshi asked quietly.  
  
Tim shook his head negatively. "Nope, nobody does. They don't say. I sure would like to know though."  
  
Aoshi nodded. "I see."  
  
"Oh yeah, Shura-san said something about you finding some girl. Is she your future wife or something?"  
  
"Hardly," Aoshi answered dryly. "She's nearly dead."  
  
"Eh?!"  
  
"Houji and Yumi were trying to.......recruit her......."  
  
"Oh dear God," Tim breathed. "How did you know about it?"  
  
"Soujirou," he answered shortly. "He told me."  
  
"I wonder how he knew......."  
  
Aoshi shrugged.  
  
"May I see her?"  
  
"Aa......."  
  
Aoshi stood and motioned Tim out of the door and down the hall. He walked outside of the building and down the road to Megumi's doctor's clinic. He opened the shoji softly and motioned for Timothy to go inside first.  
  
Tim stood just inside the door and waited for the other Okashira to enter before following him into the back room. His eyes immediately found a tiny girl lying on a futon in the corner, backed up against two walls.  
  
She was tiny, not only in stature, but in weight as well.......she couldn't weigh hardly anything. Her hair was long, reaching past her knees, and it was pulled into a braid that was beginning to come out. Her bangs were long- hanging in her face, and her skin was translucent.  
  
Her skin was free of blood, thanks to Megumi, and her leg and back was bandaged neatly. She was dressed in a white yukata that was tied tightly with a sash of the same color.  
  
"She looks terrible......." he muttered.  
  
"You think she looks bad now?" Megumi asked, coming into the room. "When Aoshi-san brought her here, she look ten times worse....... Blood everywhere, her back's still infected, but not as bad as it was."  
  
"Oh......."  
  
"Aa.......we're keeping her here for a while."  
  
"Why?" Tim asked. "I mean, I know why, but what if she doesn't want to stay?"  
  
"Houji and Yumi will return," he replied simply.  
  
"Oh yes, I see....... Are you going to ask her to stay personally?"  
  
"I'm not sure if she can understand."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"She didn't speak at all, both times I saw her. She was afraid of Fury, and myself."  
  
"Maybe that's why she didn't speak," Tim suggested.  
  
"Most likely," Megumi interjected. "If she refuses to speak, it's because she doesn't know, or doesn't wish to. Her vocal cords are fine, but unused."  
  
Aoshi nodded. "That is what I thought."  
  
"Well," Tim started. "What did you want me to do?"  
  
"I would.......appreciate it if you could attempt to locate Houji and Yumi....... I will be doing the same."  
  
"But with two people it might work better, ne? I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Arígatoo."  
  
"I will leave the day after tomorrow."  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Skye looked up at the tall gate before her. She scowled lightly. Timothy was in there, the loser. She couldn't wait to pound him with questions. "Well, what do you think Sunny?" she asked her horse. "Shall we go in and pester Tim, or stay out here and sulk?"  
  
Sunny whinnied lightly, and Skye chuckled. "Sure, we'll go in. Come on Phantom, let's go."  
  
Her wolf jumped onto the horse and sat directly behind her. She reached her hand to the door to knock, but it was yanked open before she could complete the action. "Ara?!" she yelped.  
  
"Good day Skye-san!" a woman greeted cheerfully. "We were expecting you!"  
  
"Oh!" Skye righted her balance. "Thanks Shura-san. Is Tim around? I still have to chew him out for leaving me behind again."  
  
Shura chuckled lightly. "Sure he is," she smiled, ushering them inside the gates. "He's speaking with Aoshi-san right now though, so you'll have to wait awhile, but he shouldn't be too long."  
  
"Okay then, I'll wait."  
  
She climbed from her palomino and tethered him to a pole sitting outside of the kitchen. "Phantom, come," she ordered, stepping inside. "Good day everyone!" she greeted loudly.  
  
"Skye-san!" Tae chirped, handing her a pie. "Why don't you help out with lunch?!"  
  
"Eh?!" she sweatdropped, but decided that helping out might pass the time quicker. In no time flat, lunch was ready, and Skye was hopping from foot to foot impatiently.  
  
"Calm down Skye-dono," Kenshin said. "Timothy should be here soon......."  
  
"It's not Timothy we're waiting for," Souzou said good-naturedly. "It's Aoshi-san."  
  
"Whoever made up the stupid rule of waiting for the Okashira to be there for dinner?" Skye asked annoyed. "I'm starving."  
  
"You are not starving, you're hungry," Okon stated.  
  
"Same difference," Skye argued.  
  
"Is not," Okon persisted. "There is a-"  
  
"Good afternoon Aoshi-san!" Everyone chorused at the same time, except for Skye. She just scowled at the young man behind Aoshi.  
  
"Timothy Himura!" she yelled. "How dare you leave me behind again!"  
  
"Ahhh onee-chan, I knew you'd come."  
  
"Don't be so 'I knew it'! If you knew it, then why didn't you ask me to come with you!?"  
  
"Maa, maa," Kenshin sweatdropped, waving his arms everywhere. "Let's just eat, shall we?"  
  
"Itadakimasu?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Itadakimasu!" Aoshi agreed, and everyone dug in.  
  
Even Skye, who glared at her brother over her rice.  
  
"Looks like your sister's getting jealous," Kamatari smirked. "I wonder what she'll do when she's not getting all the attention?"  
  
"I heard that!" Skye proclaimed. "Lay off!"  
  
"Well, what will you do when your big brother off and marries someone?" Sanosuke asked her laughingly.  
  
Megumi slapped his arm. "Don't be so rude Tori-atama!"  
  
"Can't we all just get along?" Yahiko asked irritably.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Yahiko cringed. "I suppose I shouldn't have asked that......."  
  
"Yeah......." Tsubame agreed.  
  
"Come on everyone!" Kaoru smiled. "Just be good to each other for one meal, okay? It's not that hard!"  
  
"Easy for you to say Busu......." Yahiko grumbled.  
  
"What?!" Kaoru showed her 'evil' eyes and lunged at Yahiko.  
  
"Come on now," Kenshin sighed. "Kaoru-dono isn't ugly, she's rather pretty......."  
  
"Really Kenshin?!" she swooned. "I'm glad you think so!"  
  
Skye rolled her eyes and shook her head. At least Lumina wasn't so.......strange.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"Come on Megumi, why don't you eat the oats?" Kanryuu asked pleadingly, spectacles slipping off his nose. Kanyou must have given them back.......  
  
Áme rolled her eyes at him. "What in the world is he doing?" she asked Akane.  
  
"Don't ask me," she shrugged. "I don't even want to know."  
  
"I would feed you opium, Megumi dear, but I don't know how to make it.......only you do......."  
  
"Oh dear......." Kazaru shook her head and left. "I am NOT watching this freak......."  
  
"Me either," Amber answered, walking quickly in the other direction as Kanryuu.  
  
Áme just shrugged and walked after Amber.  
  
"Well, how do you like this place?" Áme asked softly.  
  
"It's nice," Amber answered quickly. "I think I like it. It's quiet too......."  
  
"Yup, that's a good thing."  
  
"I'm tired. What about you?"  
  
"Yeah, me too......." Áme murmured. "Let's ask someone where we can sleep, ne?"  
  
"I suppose so." She waved at Katie from across the yard. "Heyyy!"  
  
"Hai?" Katie asked softly. "What do you need?"  
  
"Uhm......." Áme wondered. "Is there some place we can sleep? We're kind of tired......."  
  
"Oh sure! Right over there, there are several empty buildings. Just pick one.......Uh....... though there are two rooms to a building......."  
  
"That's okay, we'll share one, right Áme?" Amber grinned.  
  
"Yep, first come, first served......." Áme smirked. "She can sleep by herself!"  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Kazaru looked around herself. Hm.......nobody in sight. Oh well, there had to be something to do....... She looked around and heard a horse neigh.  
  
Her face immediately lit up. "Horses?!" she exclaimed excitedly. Nobody had said anything about horses....... She had to check this out.  
  
She ran to the stable doors and stepped inside. Windows illuminated the building, letting the sun shine through onto the rows of horses. "Ohhh......."  
  
She walked up to the first horse and patted his nose. "Hello," she stated cheerfully. "You're cute!"  
  
She kissed the horse on the nose and went to the next stall, saying hello to every horse in the building.  
  
After a few minutes, she went onto the other side of the stable, and found a ladder leading into a loft. "Cool," she whispered, stepping onto the ladder to see what was above.  
  
There was straw, straw, and more straw. And some hay too. "Sweet," she thought, looking around. She saw something in the corner, and went over to investigate. There, in the corner of the loft, sat a medium-sized white dog, dark eyes questioning.  
  
"Aww.......hello! Whatcha doing all the way up here?" Kazaru asked in the dreaded 'pet' voice that owners often use when talking to their animals.  
  
The dog cocked his head and his tongue lolled out of his mouth in a pant.  
  
"Awwwww, you're so cute! Will you come here so I can pet you?"  
  
"Woof!"  
  
"Come here!" Kazaru sat down in the hay and patted the ground next to her. "Come here puppy!"  
  
The dog trotted over to her and sat a few inches away.  
  
"Good boy!" Kazaru smiled, patting him on the head. "You need brushed though......." she mused. "Lie down," she ordered again, pushing him down to a lying position. "That's a good boy!"  
  
The dog licked her hand and panted some more.  
  
"Yesh, you're a good boy! Right?"  
  
The dog's tail started wagging. "Do you wanna take a nappy?" she asked in the same 'pet' voice.  
  
She plopped down and rolled onto her side, putting an arm around the dog. "There now, let's just take a short little nap!"  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"Hey Kazaru!"  
  
"Wake up already!"  
  
"Five more years......." Kazaru muttered, turning over again and burying her face into the dog's side.  
  
"Years?" Áme wondered. "Oi! Get up already!"  
  
"Come on Kazaru, the horses need their hay, and you're lying in it......."  
  
"Wha?" Kazaru sat up and yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "Hey guys, what's up?"  
  
Áme rolled her eyes. "First of all, the horses need fed. Second of all, they can't be fed. Do you want to know why?"  
  
"You ate it all?" Kazaru suggested, rubbing her eyes. "Man, my eye itches......."  
  
"Grrr, of course not!"  
  
"You're sitting in the hay....... Come on, it's nearly time for dinner, and I'm sure Neal wants to eat......."  
  
"What's he gotta do with it?"  
  
"He's the one who's supposed to be feeding the horses you dork," Áme frowned. "Seriously, you're so dense sometimes, I wonder if you're still mentally stable."  
  
"S'not my fault!" Kazaru yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth.  
  
"It's not your fault you went to sleep up here? Lemme guess, that dog forced you to."  
  
"Sure?" Kazaru shrugged. "Why not?"  
  
The dog stood up and shook the hay from his coat.  
  
Amber hauled Kazaru to her feet. "Let's go, okay?"  
  
"Sure, no boy, stay here," she ordered, pushing her finger down at him.  
  
The dog sat.  
  
"Good boy, now let's go......." Kazaru let Amber and Áme go down the ladder, and then she descended.  
  
The white dog followed her. "No boy, stay up there where you belong."  
  
He didn't listen.  
  
Kazaru turned to Áme and shrugged. "I dunno what to do!"  
  
"That's what you get, befriending dogs.......he'll probably follow you everywhere now," Áme smirked.  
  
"That's a good thing.......I think......." She turned around and jumped back a few feet. "Ah! Tall people!" She dove behind Áme and looked up. "Oh, it's you," she stated simply. "Sorry for getting in the way......."  
  
".......It's okay......."  
  
"Ah, just ignore her Neal," Áme said, pushing her sister out from behind her. "She's not entirely mentally stable......."  
  
"What?!" Kazaru turned around and glared at her sister. Amber sweatdropped and started to walk away. "I am so!"  
  
"Mentally unstable?"  
  
"No, you......! Come back here!" Kazaru chased Áme out of the building, the white dog following happily.  
  
".......Yeah......." Neal sweatdropped.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
"Come on!" Áme yelled, running ahead of her.  
  
"Stop running already! Come back here and fight!"  
  
"Why would I want to fight you!" Áme ran around the kitchen laughing.  
  
Kazaru gave chase. "Because you're weaker than me! Just 'cause I'm smaller, and slower, and STRONGER!"  
  
"But you're slower, therefore, you'll never catch me!"  
  
"Yes I-"  
  
"DINNNNNNNNNERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"  
  
"Finally!" Áme grinned, stopping in her tracks. Kazaru took this opportunity to lunge at her sister.  
  
Áme ran into the open doorway a few feet away. Kazaru fell. "Oof!" She rubbed her nose and sat up. "Darn you!" she sighed, standing up and stepping into the kitchen. Everyone else was already there, having come through the East door, instead of the West one.  
  
"What happened to you?" Akane asked.  
  
"Eh, heh, heh.......nothing?"  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
OK, that's it. 20 pages of wonderful story stuff.......yay.......not.  
  
Uh.......yeah. Jo's full name is going to be Johatsu.......Jo for short of course.......  
  
Uhm.......Kanryuu.......*sweatdrop* Yeah. Kanryuu.......the rest of it is in my brother's fic he's trying to write (he has 1 chapter done).......it's called "Kanryuu's Jail Adventures" or something.......^^ It's actually very funny.......it's about Kanryuu's time in jail, and he has to share a cell with the Jinpuu squad leader.......(poor guy)....... Uh, Kanyou is the Jinpuu dude's name because it means tolerate.......*snort* he's the only one who can tolerate Kanryuu without going crazy.......XD  
  
Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter might take awhile in coming out.......ehhhh.......Mower-girl Misao might take up a few days of my time, seeing as how I haven't updated in forever.......and then there's the angst fic I have.......that I haven't posted.......I've got 2/4 parts completed, just gotta finish the other 2 and then I'll post it....... (It's Aoshi/Misao of course, that's all I write!) XD  
  
~~Okashira Misao  
  
PS. Review all you ff.net pplz!  
  
PPS. Guess who the white dog is! If you've read my Inuyasha fics, you should know!! (HINT: "Beggar's Can't Be Choosers" and "I'll Always Love You" he was in both fics.......) 


	9. chapter 8 i really am sorry that its so ...

Author's blabberings:: ^^;;;  
  
XD~ Nobody guessed who the white doggie is! ^___^ Lol! Oh well! Ya'll will find out soon enough. ^^  
  
And I've got some good news! For those of you who read "Health Crisis" guess what?! It might be bacckkkk! XD I just got another pen name (for R rated stuff, so far I have only humor) and I might post it up again and change the title, rate it R.......^^ *smile* What do you all think? If you haven't read "Health Crisis", you're not missing much. Just a twisted humor fic! Lol!  
  
Another side note, I'm soooooo sorry for confusing everyone! I'm such a BAD, BAD authoress! ^^;; But I don't know what's confusing. Is it the songfic or the Lumina-stuff....... *sweatdrop* So many people said they didn't get it, but nobody said what they didn't understand.......  
  
A have a request from some very nice people who asked very nicely from Fanfiction.net! And I quote "More Misao please?" *beams* OK! This chapter will be.......uh.......short compared to the rest (I'm sorry) but Misao FINALLY wakes up! I wrote the last two chapters as kind of 'fillers' because I mean, what else am I gonna write about? Aoshi's feelings for Misao? Uh-huh, riiiighhhtt. She hasn't even said ½ a word to him yet.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Dedication: To Jo-chan Himura, Akane, Swordsman_Spirit, SoTD, AndroidX, Chaingunner, Skye, Sword-girl, Tori-Atama-sama, Kikyo, and anyone else from k.it who reads this but I don't know about cause I haven't been online for almost a week.  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
BTW, this chapter is short to make up for the wayyyy too long chapter last time. XD  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Misao felt her body twitch in reflex when her mind awoke in foreign surroundings. It wasn't that she wasn't used to waking up in strange places, because she was. She just knew, without opening her eyes, that she had not fallen asleep in this place- at least, not of her own accord.  
  
She heard one.......no two people running around busily, but she didn't open her eyes. She might see something she didn't want to. Like that man and woman from last time. But that man had caught her.......was she with him, then?  
  
She shuddered at the thought and the two presences in the room moved over to her side. She kept her body steady, pretending to be asleep. Maybe then, the strangers would leave her be.  
  
Something fell to the floor with a clang, and Misao's eyes snapped open instantly, head rotating towards the sound.  
  
"Ah, Omasu! You're so clumsy sometimes!" one woman scolded another.  
  
"Sorry Megumi, it was an accident. I didn't even see it there......."  
  
Misao ignored the rest of the conversation and looked around herself. Her blue-green eyes darted around the room looking to see if there was a possible way to leave. There was one window, on the far wall, but it was closed.  
  
Other than that, there was only the shoji leading outside.  
  
The room that she was in was nice-looking and spacious, but she still felt trapped in it. The curtains over the window made the room darker, and the equipment on the other side of the room looked to her like something out to get her. She didn't know what it was.  
  
She struggled to move from the bed, but her back protested at being moved after lying still for so long. She tripped over her own legs that were fast asleep, and fell flat on her face.  
  
"Wha?!" Megumi squeaked, whipping around to witness her newest patient attempt to get up. "Hey!" she yelped. "Don't do that! Get back in bed before you hurt yourself!"  
  
Misao turned her face to the woman who was obviously in charge and stared blankly with wide eyes.  
  
She hadn't expected to trip, it seemed.  
  
"Come on honey lamb," Omasu said softly, setting her arm on the girl's shoulder. "Just climb back into-"  
  
Misao shrugged off Omasu's hand and jerked away nervously. She wasn't used to being touched like that by anybody....... She pulled herself into the corner behind herself, and flicked her gaze from Omasu to Megumi, and back again.  
  
"Come on honey, we won't hurt you," Omasu tried to reason. "You still hurt, see? You need to get back in bed to let your wounds heal......."  
  
Misao gazed down at her leg, which was now tightly bandaged. She blinked in confusion. Why were these people taking care of her? She didn't believe it for a second....... Nobody did things like that just to be nice.  
  
She scrunched herself up further against the wall. Eventually, they wouldn't be nice anymore, and then they'd laugh at her while she suffered. She just knew it.  
  
"Good morning Miss Megumi, Miss Omasu!" A cheery voice filtered through the room and Misao turned bright eyes on a red-headed man standing in the doorway with food in his hands. "Miss," he said, gesturing to Misao herself. "I hope that you are feeling better now, that I do."  
  
He balanced the food in his hands and waited for Omasu to take it from him before he continued. "Miss Tae insisted that you three ladies eat all of this. She says that it's her special recipe, that she does."  
  
"Thank you Kenshin!" Omasu beamed.  
  
"Thanks Ken-san!" Megumi smiled. "How is Kaoru doing? I haven't had a chance to talk to her lately."  
  
"Oh, Miss Kaoru's doing nicely, that she is!" Kenshin smiled gently, his violet eyes getting soft. "She's been practicing a lot, that she has. But she's sleeping now......."  
  
"Sleeping? It's only 7:00......." Megumi frowned.  
  
"Oh well, she was training with Yahiko and they overdid it a little, so I told her that she needed to rest." Kenshin nodded and smiled. "Well, I have to go, that I do. There's work to be done, de gozaru yo."  
  
"Goodbye Ken-san!" Megumi waved.  
  
"Are you hungry honey lamb?" Omasu asked Misao. "Here's some food for you if you are."  
  
She set down a bowl of some kind of soup and stepped back. Misao didn't touch it. For all she knew, it could be something that wasn't good for her to eat. Besides, nobody just gave someone they didn't know food. Life didn't work that way.  
  
She just blinked at the food and pulled her legs up closer.  
  
"Look honey, there's nothing wrong with the food," Omasu tried to explain. "You have to get some energy so that you can get moving around again."  
  
"It's not poisoned, you know. Unless Kaoru cooked it," Megumi laughed, fox ears popping out. "So just eat it already."  
  
Misao didn't respond.  
  
"You'll die if you don't eat something soon," Megumi pointed out eventually. "You haven't had any nutritious food in a long time. And if you don't eat it, I'll force you to."  
  
Misao's eyes widened but she still refused to touch what was laid before her.  
  
"Look dear," Omasu soothed. "Our Okashira wants to speak with you about something."  
  
She didn't understand. Why did somebody she didn't know want to speak with her? And what did that have to do with her eating anything?  
  
Omasu saw her hesitation and confusion, and decided to clear things up a bit. "Our Okashira's an important person, and he's looking for a man that has done some seriously bad things to people. He thinks that you might be able to help."  
  
"But you can't speak with him if you don't have any energy," Megumi said, chewing on something. "Besides, I'm pretty hungry, I might just eat it all myself."  
  
"I don't think so!" Omasu seethed. "Eat your own share! This is mine! And that's hers!"  
  
"Ladies......."  
  
Both women looked up at their Okashira who had entered the building, his icy teal eyes reflecting aloof silence.  
  
"Oh thank goodness!" Omasu cried, dragging Aoshi over to Misao. "Look, she woke up, but she won't eat anything. Make her eat something!"  
  
"I can't," Aoshi said simply, glancing down at the girl with wide ocean- sprayed eyes. "She chooses her own path."  
  
"Eh?!" the young woman eeped. She had been expecting the tall man to order the girl to eat something right then and there. Well, maybe Aoshi-san just didn't like ordering children around.......  
  
"She is old enough to make her own decisions."  
  
With that, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu left the room.  
  
"Well," Megumi faltered. "He said three sentences more than he usually does."  
  
Misao thought for a long time about what the guy had said. He was the same guy that had caught her before- and the same on before that, with the dog. She wondered where his dog was now.  
  
What did he mean when he said 'she chooses her own path'....... Did he mean that, by not eating, she was choosing death over life? And with his second statement about her being old enough to choose.......did he really know how old she truly was, or did he just let children make their own decisions.  
  
Well, she wasn't choosing death over life, that was for sure.......  
  
Dear Heavenly Father,  
  
Thank you for this food that I am about to receive.......  
  
~^*_~^*_~^*_+_*^~_*^~_*^~  
  
Well, that was.......er.......short. 4 pages long. Ehhhhh I feel so bad for making it so short! XD, but I don't know what else to write, so I'm stopping....... *sigh* As a side-note, I'm putting "Mower-Girl Misao" on hiatus....... at least until September. ^^;;  
  
Let me know what you thought. Please? I mean, I'd really appreciate it. =P Bye-bye for now, but I will most likely see you next chapter. ^.~  
  
~~Okashira Misao  
  
PS. You fanfiction.net people better review! Or I'll sick Fury on you! 


	10. Author's Apology

This story is NOT I repeat NOT going to be continued. Ya'll would have known that by reading my bio. I've been asked to keep it up, but I will not update it ever again. =) If you wish to take over it for me, email me at Sango@fusemail.com and I'll talk with you about it. Otherwise, I really am very sorry, but this fic is just too hard to write..  
  
I wish to thank everyone who's read it though, thank you all very much for your support. ^^ I loved writing it for ya'll, and I hate to say that I won't continue it. =P  
  
Sayonara ya'll. ^___^ 


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